The Results in the Change
by craftyjhawk
Summary: Follow up to "The Change in the Partnership" - Booth and Brennan adjust to the changes in their partnership.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N – This is a follow up to my first Bones fic "The Change in the Partnership." This is a multi-chapter story, hopefully with weekly updates. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"Booth" he barked into the phone. His irritation was coming across loud and clear to the person on the other end of the call. "Look, I told you I would deal with this tomorrow. I have somewhere I was supposed to be fifteen minutes ago. If the situation becomes critical, call me."

Booth disconnected the call as he powered off his computer. Unlocking the desk drawer that held his service weapon, he grabbed the holster, clipping on at his waist. He slammed the door shut, stormed out of his office and told his assistant that it was quitting time. He decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator, knowing that it would be faster. He jogged to his SUV, pushing the button to unlock the doors as he went. He hopped in the driver's seat and started the engine before he even closed the door. He took the time to push speed dial number one on his phone before throwing the truck into gear and speeding out of the parking deck.

"Hiya, Bones! I know I'm late. I'm on my way right now. I just left the Hoover and should be there in about, oh, fifteen minutes." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while he listened to Brennan.

"I'm sorry, Bones, really. Every time I tried to leave, the phone would ring." Traffic was heavy, making him even more antsy than usual. Tapping fingers became hands drumming on the steering wheel.

"I know I'm the Deputy Director, but that doesn't mean I can just leave in the middle of a crisis! You know, you love my dedication to my job." Fighting the urge to yell at the drivers around him, he laid on the horn a few times to vent his frustration.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't start without me!" Tempted to turn on his lights and siren, he instead turned on to a side street hoping to cut some time off of his drive.

Brennan hung up the phone and gave Cam a small smile. "Booth is on his way. Apparently, there was a crisis and he could not leave. I guess we should have expected this. Booth's commitment to his job has only increased since he took over as Deputy Director."

Nodding, Cam agreed, "Booth has always been very dedicated. Even I am impressed with how he has taken on his new responsibilities and thrived. He seems so happy now. I'm sure a big part of that is how much time he has for your family now. Oh, speaking of our FBI hero, I think he's here."

"Bones, I'm here!" Booth had stopped at the door to her office and was trying to catch his breath. "Did I miss it? I didn't miss it, did I? I asked you to wait! You know how important this is to me."

"Booth, calm down." Brennan walked over and laid a hand on his chest to calm him. "We waited, don't worry. I knew you did not want to miss this. Are you ready?"

A huge grin split Booth's face, as he rubbed his hands together. "Yeah, let's get this show on the road."

* * *

_Nine months earlier_

"_Bones, I don't think I realized what we were getting ourselves into when we agreed to this. Agent training, squint training, agent and squint training – there is so much to plan. Every time I even think about it, my eyes start to cross and my brain shuts down." Booth rubbed his hands over his face, trying to get his focus back on the job at hand. He looked at the piles of papers spread across their dining room table and wondered how they would ever be done by the deadline set by both the FBI and the Jeffersonian. _

_Brennan got up from her chair to stretch and walked over to stand behind Booth. Leaning over to wrap her arms around his shoulders, she nuzzled his ear. "Aren't you glad you have me to help with all of this? We have three months to design the courses, set the schedules and select the trainees."_

_Booth groaned. "Bones, don't remind me! We have so much to do, I just don't see how we can get it all done. We have already spent almost three months on this and I can't see any progress."_

_Temperance Brennan may not have been adept at reading most people, but her husband was not most people. She could see Booth's frustration with the situation growing and decided he needed a distraction. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him up from the chair and across the room, leading him toward the stairs. She glanced at him over her shoulder and saw the familiar sparkle in his eyes. With a waggle of his eyebrows, he took the lead and urged her up to their bedroom as quickly as she would allow._

* * *

Booth pulled Brennan in as close as he could for a hug. It wasn't as close as he would have liked, but he loved the reason for the distance. Pulling slightly away from her, he rubbed her five-month baby bump before leaning over to place a kiss where his hand had been. Booth took her hand and wrapped it in his own.

"Are you ready to go, Bones? I think we have some people waiting for us." He gave her a wink and led her out the door before she could answer. They walked through the lab and made their way out to the Jeffersonian garden.

* * *

_Seven months earlier_

"_Time to go over the checklist again, Booth." She braced herself for the groan or eye roll or whatever negative reaction he was going to display. Right on cue –_

_Groan. "Bones, we have been over this a thousand times. We have it all under control." He flopped back on the bed and waited for Brennan to continue. _

_Going on like Booth hadn't said anything, "We've finished the curriculum. Instructors from the Jefferson and FBI have been assigned. Field trips have been scheduled." Booth snickered. Field trips for FBI agents, really? "We just need to review the list of candidates and make our final choices. See, Booth, I told you we would be able to organize all aspects of the program before the deadline. Is there anything that we have neglected to do?"_

_Booth gave her question some thought. "Have you sent the curriculum to the printers? Have you ordered the supplies for the squints' field kits? I've had my assistant take care of both of those items on our end."_

"_Yes, the curriculum and the supplies were delivered to the Jeffersonian this week. It looks like there is just one more thing on my checklist." She laid down on their bed, next to him._

"_Aw, c'mon, Bones! Can't we be done with the work talk for tonight? Christine is asleep. There is a Flyers game on TV. I was going to go down to my man cave, grab a beer and watch the game. What did we forget on the checklist?"_

_Brennan rolled onto her side, facing him and propped her head on her hand. "We were supposed to discuss adding a member to the team."_

"_Huh? What?" Booth's look of confusion was priceless. "Why do we need to add a team member? I thought we had filled all of the positions. Who did we forget?"_

"_Did you forget about having a brother or sister for Christine?" _

_She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when Booth pinned her flat on the bed. He crushed his mouth to hers. "So" kiss "how about" kiss "we" kiss "get" kiss "started" kiss "on that" kiss "addition" kiss "now?" He kiss her again, capturing her mouth until they both had to come up for air. He propped himself up on both hands and waggled his eyebrows at her in invitation._

"_Well, Booth," as she grabbed the hem of her t shirt and pulled it over her head, "what are you waiting for?"_

"_Nothing, baby. Absolutely nothing."_

* * *

"Everything is perfect, Cam," Brennan said. "You and Angela did a wonderful job planning the ceremony. Thank you. Booth and I appreciate all of your hard work." Brennan wiped away the tears starting to creep down her cheeks. "Damn hormones," she whispered.

Booth and Cam exchanged smiles while Brennan's attention was still focused on the sight in front of her. Booth put his arm around her shoulders, gave her a reassuring squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. She laid her head on his shoulder, soaking in his closeness.

"Really, Dr. Brennan, after all of the hard work you and Booth have done to set up the program and the work that the trainees have done to complete the program, this seemed like the least that the rest of us could do. I'm so glad you're pleased. Now, are we ready to start?"

* * *

_Six months earlier_

_Booth, Brennan and Cam were seated at the table in the lounge of the Jeffersonian, eating out of takeout boxes from their favorite Thai restaurant. The other end of the table was covered with stacks of files. This was decision day, time to decide which candidates would be accepted into the training program. Nearly six months of hard work had brought them to this point._

"_I wanted to include Dr. Bray in the first class of trainees, but that doesn't seem like a good use of resources. Since being assigned by Cam as my replacement, he has been working with a partner in the field and has learned much of what we will be teaching in the program."_

"_Dr. Brennan, I'm sure you wouldn't have recommended him as your replacement if you didn't feel he could handle the job. He has been doing excellent work. You obviously trained him well."_

_Brennan beamed at the praise, recognizing it as truth and not just as a way to boost her ego._

"_Excuse me, ladies, can we get back to work here? We need to be discussing who we __**are**__ including. As for the agents to accept," Booth picked up four files and placed them in the center of the table as he said each name, "I'm recommending Supervisory Special Agent Eric Zhang, Special Agent Olivia Sparling, Special Agent Cortney Nelson and Special Agent Matt Jameson. They each have experience and talents that will make them valuable to the program."_

_Brennan, likewise placed four folders in the center of the table. "My four candidates are Dr. Colin Fisher, Dr. Kimberly Matthews, Dr. Abigail Cronin and Mr. Seth Larkin. Cam, do you agree with my choices?_

"_Definitely. Although, Mr. Larkin doesn't have his doctorate yet, he should be presenting his dissertation in the next few months. He has assured me that he is far enough along in that process, that it won't interfere with his work for the training program."_

"_Then it is decided. The acceptance letters will be sent tomorrow and in two weeks the program will begin." Nearly vibrating with excitement, Brennan looked at Booth and Cam, who both nodded their agreement._

* * *

They had made their way to their seats on the platform that had been erected in the garden. They sat, looking out at the trainees, both FBI agents and anthropologists, and their families. Joining them on the platform was the Director of the FBI, Dr. Goodman from the Jeffersonian and all of the program instructors.

Cam and Angela had outdone themselves in planning the intimate ceremony. White wooden folding chairs sat in straight lines on the Jeffersonian lawn. The eight trainees each sat with their families, who had given support and had also made sacrifices during the six month training period. The platform for the program staff and dignitaries had been decorated in flowers and large potted plants. Front and center on the platform was an oak podium, beside which stood a round oak table. Placed on the table were eight leather covers which contained the eight certificates of completion that would be presented to the soon-to-be graduates.

To the rear of the folding chairs, a marquee had been erected for the reception which was to follow. The two buffet tables inside were worthy of a Jeffersonian fundraiser. A small bar had also been set up inside the tent. Everyone involved in the planning felt that the trainees and staff had earned a celebration after all of their hard work.

* * *

_Two months earlier_

_Brennan and Agent Charlie Burns had gathered the trainees in the conference room at the Hoover. Although Booth was the official FBI liaison for the training program, his duties as Deputy Director prevented him from being involved on a daily basis. He had assigned Charlie to work closely with Brennan in his stead. Charlie knew Brennan well after working with Booth for many years and wasn't as intimidated by her as many other agents were._

"_Today is the beginning of your field training. For four months, you have been in the Jeffersonian lab or in FBI conference rooms learning what each entity does and how they do it. For the next two months, you will be assigned a partner and you will be sent to crime scenes to put your training into action. _

_If you are able to work together as a team, and are successful in solving these crimes, you will have completed this course. The intent of this program is to try to duplicate the success that Deputy Director Booth and I had during our twelve year partnership. You will be paired for the next two months with the person who will most likely be your partner upon completion of the program." Brennan looked around the table at the eight trainees. They had worked extremely hard over the last four months and she felt confident that they were prepared for the next phase of training. _

"_Now, Agent Burns will give you your partner assignments. You will be assigned to crime scenes on a rotation. Charlie will be announcing the pairings in your rotation order."_

_Charlie looked at the paper that he was holding and read it out loud. "First up will be Dr. Colin Fisher and Special Agent Matt Jameson. The next team is Dr. Kimberly Matthews and Supervisory Special Agent Eric Zhang. Next up is Dr. Abigail Cronin and Special Agent Olivia Sparling. The last team is Dr. Seth Larkin and Special Agent Cortney Nelson." Charlie decided this was his chance to impart some wisdom to the new teams. "I'm going to suggest that each team goes to lunch together today. Spend some time getting to really know each other, not just today, but over the next two months. You don't need to spend every waking hour together. But you have to know each other well enough to be able to trust one another in the field. Remember, your partner has your back at all times, just like you have his. There is a level of trust that you must share in order for a partnership to work."_

_Brennan pushed away from the table and stood up. "You're all dismissed for the rest of the day. Starting tomorrow, you will be on the on call rotation. Keep your phones with you at all times. Until you are called out, you will continue with your normal duties, which means scientists will be working at the lab and agents will be here at the Hoover. Have a good day everyone. I look forward to seeing how you handle being in the field without constant supervision. This is your chance to prove yourselves. Good luck."_

* * *

_Six weeks earlier_

"_Bones, have you seen –" He stopped as he walked through their bedroom door. Brennan had fallen asleep in the short time it had taken him to lock up the house and check on Christine. Booth quickly stripped out of his jeans and climbed into bed in only a t shirt and boxers. He wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and pulled her to him so that he was snuggled against her back. His hand slipped down to cup her barely noticeable bump. He placed kisses in her hair and nuzzled her neck, enjoying this little bit of quiet time. _

_Brennan stirred and rolled over to face him. "Booth, I'm sorry I fell asleep. I'm just so tired lately."_

_Booth chuckled. "I think you have a good reason to be tired. You're running an extensive forensics training program. You are still identifying remains in Limbo. You are raising a very active six-year-old." Reaching down to rub her bump again, "And on top of all of that, you are pregnant. It's okay to be tired. And speaking of being pregnant, isn't it time for us to make an announcement about the new little team member?" _

_Pushing aside that conversation, Brennan remembered what she had wanted to tell him earlier. "I didn't get a chance to tell you about Fisher and Jameson's crime scene today. Hodgins gave me a full report when he returned to the lab. Apparently when they arrived, the FBI techs had trampled the entire crime scene area. Before Fisher could say anything, Jameson reminded them, very loudly, about preserving a crime scene. Hodgins said it sounded like a recording of me, whatever that means."_

"_What it means, Bones, is that Jameson learned what the Jeffersonian's expectations are at a crime scene and he is trying to meet those expectations. What it means, is that the training program is working. You should be proud."_

"_Wrong, Booth, we should be proud. We did this together. You deserve as much of the credit as I do."_

"_Thanks, Bones." He rolled onto his back, bringing her with him. She laid her head over his heart and an arm around his waist. "C'mon, baby, let's go to sleep. It's been a long day and we're both tired. And tomorrow we make the big announcement, right?"_

"_Right, it's time to tell everyone. I love you, Booth," Brennan said as she drifted to sleep while he rubbed her back in small circles._

"_I love you, too, Bones. I love you, too."_

* * *

_Two weeks earlier_

_Brennan and Booth arrived at the crime scene and made their way to the ambulance. Hodgins met them with his hands up to stop them as they approached. "Everything is fine. Seth is going to be fine. He's just a little shook up. The bullet grazed his arm, but it doesn't even need stitches."_

_Brennan cut Booth off before he could start yelling. "Hodgins, where is Agent Nelson? I'm sure Booth would like to get a statement from her."_

"_She's with Seth in the ambulance. She pretty shaken, too. I got the impression that this was the first time she has had to use her weapon in the field."_

_Booth walked over to the ambulance. Brennan watched as he pulled his lighter from his pocket and began flipping it open and closed. It was a sure sign of his agitation. She hoped that the situation was as simple as it seemed._

"_Agent Nelson, Dr. Larkin, how are you guys? Holding up, okay?" They both nodded. "Hodgins says that it's just a graze, Seth. But, I'm sure that Dr. Brennan will want you to go home and rest once you've given your statement. That is, as long as the EMTs give you the okay to skip going to the hospital."_

_Larkin looked pale, but his voice was strong as he answered. "I'm fine, Booth. They've cleared me to go. I'd like to go back to the lab instead of heading home."_

"_You'll need to talk to Dr. Brennan about that. Seth, I'm glad you're okay. Take care of yourself." Booth shook Larkin's hand before the squint went to find Brennan. Turning to Agent Nelson, "How are you Cortney? I know this was your first shooting. Do you think you can tell me what happened?"_

"_Yes, sir. I'm fine, sir. Dr. Larkin was examining the remains while I was taking witness statements. Local law enforcement had the perimeter secured, when I heard one of them yell. Apparently, he had seen an armed man running between the houses and yelled at him to stop. He stopped, but he raised his gun as if to shoot. The LEO took a shot and missed. Before I could shoot, the suspect got off a shot that grazed Dr. Larkin's arm. He was unable to get off another shot before I took him down with two shots to the chest. He was dead by the time I got to him."_

_As much as Booth would like to comfort the young agent, he knew he needed to treat her like one of the "guys." "Good job, Agent Nelson, you protected your partner. If you hadn't been able to take the suspect down, your partner could have been more seriously injured. You probably saved his life. Finish giving your statement to the agent in charge and then take the rest of the day off. Get some rest and I'll see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning." He shook Nelson's hand before walking away. "Good job, Cortney."_

* * *

With a nod from Brennan, Cam made her way to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to the first graduation ceremony held for the FBI-Jeffersonian Joint Forensics Training Program."

Booth and Brennan looked on with pride in their eyes. The whole team had worked hard to get to this point. The results made it all worthwhile. Booth glanced over at his wife as she brushed at a tear that had escaped and heard her whisper, "Damn hormones."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N - Thank you for continuing to read this story. Constructive reviews are always welcome. Every view, favorite and review are very much appreciated. _

_Thanks to my beta, dgschneider! I've said this before, but, if you are reading her fic "Need," you are missing out on a wonderfully written, beautiful story._

_Any mistakes are all mine._

_Disclaimer - I still don't own Bones or any of it's characters, which is very unfortunate. It that changes, you'll be the first to know._

* * *

Booth and Brennan were late getting home that night. The ceremony had been a huge success and the reception an even bigger one. Eating, drinking and mingling had turned into dancing when one of the interns had plugged his iPod into a set of speakers. Tables were pushed back to make room for an impromptu dance floor. After six months of hard work by the trainees, everyone had jumped at the chance to relax and enjoy themselves. The partners had stayed until the party broke up, seizing the chance to just be a couple spending time with friends.

Brennan leaned heavily against Booth as they walked in the door. She was exhausted from the dancing and late hour. Her stamina had decreased during her pregnancy, even if she did not want to admit it. Max met them as they walked into the living room, assuring them that Christine was asleep as he gave Brennan a hug before he headed home.

"Booth, get her in bed. She can barely stand up. It looks like the two of you had a great time."

"We did. Thanks, Max, for watching Christine. We always appreciate it." He shook Max's hand and gave him a pat on the back. He followed Max to the door so that he could lock up after Max left.

Walking back to Brennan, he wrapped her in a hug. "Did you have a good time tonight, Bones?"

"I enjoyed myself very much, Booth." She looked up at him contentedly, while trying to stifle a yawn at the same time.

"It looks like Max was right. Let's get you two up to bed. Go on up. I'm going to check the locks and I'll be right behind you."

Brennan walked up the stairs slowly, her tiredness rapidly catching up with her. She went to check on Christine. That's where Booth found her, standing in the doorway, watching their daughter sleep. "She looks so peaceful when she's asleep," Brennan sighed, as she leaned back into him.

"Yeah," Booth chuckled, "she looks nothing like the whirlwind she is when she's awake." He had wrapped his arms around her and gave her expanding tummy a pat. "C'mon, bedtime for mama and baby."

* * *

_Five months earlier_

_Booth stormed into Brennan's office, rattling the glass walls when he slammed the door shut. Making his way to her desk, he slammed both hands down, getting right in her face. "Bones! What are your people doing to my agents?"_

"_Booth, if you will sit down and calm down, we can talk about this. I have no idea what you are referring to. Would you like to fill me in?"_

"_I have had four agents complain to me today about your people. Guess which agents. The four agents in __**your**__ training program! So, I am asking you again, what are your people doing to them?"_

_Trying to keep her temper under control since Booth clearly wasn't, she calmly answered him. "I thought this was our training program. Was I mistaken? We developed it together, as a partnership. So, I assume we share in the responsibility in the success or failure of the program, correct? Now, as to what your agents are complaining about, I have no idea. Maybe you could elaborate for me?"_

"_This morning, when I got to my office, Agent Jameson was waiting for me. He said that he was in danger of failing the program, because Dr. Hodgins was unfair." Standing up, he started pacing across her office. "Agent Sparling called to tell me that if she had to observe one more autopsy with Dr. Saroyan that she was going to quit the program." He was tossing his poker chip in the air and catching it while pacing. "Agent Nelson cornered me in the break room while I was getting coffee. She said that you yelled at her for no reason at all." He had swapped the poker chip for his lighter. Now he was flipping it open and closed, the click punctuating his speech. "And, the final straw, was when Agent Zhang, Eric of all people, told me that the squints at the Jeffersonian were enjoying their authority over the agent trainees just a little too much!" With that, he flopped back down into the chair, glaring at Brennan._

_She had let him rant, knowing that interrupting him would only exacerbate the situation. Now that he had finished, she stood and walked around the desk, stopping in front of Booth. Sitting on the edge of the desk, she took his hand, rubbing it between her own. "Booth, you need to calm down. We can discuss if you will remain calm."_

"_I'm sorry, Bones, I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just don't know what is going on here to make four agents come running to me like that. These are tough FBI agents. Squints should be able to intimidate them!"_

_Brennan decided that letting that last statement go without comment was the wise thing to do. "Let's start at the beginning. Why does Agent Jameson think that Dr. Hodgins is being unfair?"_

"_Matt said that Hodgins wants him to memorize all of these plant and bug names and he doesn't see why it's necessary. To be honest, I don't see why either."_

"_I agree it may not be necessary, but we decided that we would give both the agents and the scientists as much information as we could. I'm sure that the scientists probably feel that they don't need to be learning so much about FBI procedure either. On to Agent Sparling, she needs to get past the point where seeing human remains makes her ill. She doesn't have to like it, she just needs to be able to work a crime scene without wanting to vomit. Exposure will help with that. None of us ever become numb to that feeling, but she needs to learn how to control it. If you have a better suggestion as to how to achieve it, I'm willing to listen to it. Now, what was Agent Nelson's complaint about me?"_

"_Uh, she said you yelled at her, a lot." He looked down, afraid of what he might read on her face. This had just become personal and he wasn't sure how she would react to it. "She said that she bumped a table of remains and that you just lost it. I've seen you do that before, so I know it's possible. Do you want to tell me what happened?" He hoped that Nelson had been exaggerating. He didn't want to have to come down hard on Brennan over it._

"_I think I know what she is talking about, although my reaction seemed minor compared to her infraction." Brennan paused to choose her wording carefully. "I was examining a set of remains from Limbo and Agent Nelson was observing me. She neglected to put on gloves. I corrected her on that. She then bumped into the table, causing the bones to shift and a phalange to fall to the floor. That is inexcusable! What if that bone had shattered? She has to be more careful. If I don't correct her, how will she learn?"_

_Booth knew he was standing on thin ice. Nelson had made a mistake, a big one, but he felt that he needed to defend his agent in any way that he could. Taking a small step onto that thin ice, "I'm sure it was an accident. Nelson didn't mean to bump the table. And she probably didn't know that the bones could shatter if they fell. I just think that yelling at her might now have been the best way to correct her." He paused mid-step on the ice, waiting to see how Brennan would respond._

_Brennan gave what he said some thought. Even though she would never admit that she might have overreacted, she could agree that he made a good point. "I see your point. Perhaps, I forgot that I was dealing with someone who was unfamiliar with procedures in the lab."_

_Relieved to be standing on solid ground once again, Booth turned to the last complaint, which seemed to be the hardest one to deal with. "Why would Zhang imply that everyone at the Jeffersonian was being power hungry? Are your people being hard on my people just because they are FBI agents? 'Cause that better not be what is happening here."_

"_I honestly don't know why Agent Zhang would say that. Perhaps I should speak with him about it. I know that some of the techs here feel as if the agents are too hard on them in the field, maybe it is some sort of retaliation for that. I haven't seen any evidence of that, but I will check into it." Pulling Booth out of the chair, she placed a hand on each of his biceps. "I want this to work just as much as you do. I will do anything necessary to make that happen, even making adjustments to what we are doing here. We knew that there could be problems with the program. I think if these are the biggest problems that we are going to have, then we are doing pretty well."_

_A sense of relief washed over Booth. He had been dreading this talk, but couldn't have asked for it to go any better. Brennan was right, these were minor problems that were easily dealt with. This program might actually be a success._

* * *

"Booth, I find that I'm very nervous about this meeting."

She and Booth were driving to the Hoover for a meeting to discuss the training program. It had been two weeks since the graduation ceremony. Evaluations of the instructors and trainees had been completed. The results of the program had been analyzed by both the FBI and Jeffersonian. It was time to review the results and decide whether or not the program would continue. The partners felt that the program had been a complete success. Unfortunately, the decision was not theirs. The Director of the FBI and the board of the Jeffersonian would have to sign off on it. One negative vote would kill the program.

"We've got this!" Booth grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "There is no way that they're going to cancel the program. They've already invested too much to not give it a chance. Just relax. Your presentation alone will convince them. Cam and I are just window dressing."

"I don't know what that means." She was trying, unsuccessfully, to appear confident. She liked to be in control and she wasn't in control of this situation. She didn't like the feeling at all. The worried look she gave him said more than she could say with words.

"It means, oh, it's not important." Giving her a smile meant to reassure her, "Just make sure that you give your presentation just like you practiced it. Don't accidentally slip into squint speak. You'll be great. Try not to worry. You and I won't let them take this away from us."

They arrived at the conference room before everyone else. They had each carefully planned their presentations. In their opinions, the program must continue. Their vision was to bring in agents and scientists from across the country to train. In training others in their methods, they hoped to increase the solve rates in other parts of the country. That, however, wasn't their only reason to want the program to continue. Even though they didn't work together on a daily basis, they were still working together. They were still partners, even if they were not working in the field. Neither of them was ready to let that go.

As everyone else began to arrive, Booth and Brennan exchanged hopeful looks. This was it, their chance to dazzle the FBI Director and the members of the Jeffersonian board. Introductions were made and the attendees took their seats.

Cam stood first to make her presentation. She approached the financial aspect of the program. She reviewed the expenses of the program and the funding options. While it wasn't an inexpensive program, limiting the number of trainees at any given time lowered the cost. In her opinion, the payoff in potential cases solved far outweighed the expense of the program.

Brennan was next to speak. She spoke of the benefits of having FBI agents who understood the collection process at a crime scene. She referred to her personal experience with Booth during the many years of their partnership. She explained that as Booth learned more about her expectations at a crime scene, the collection process went more smoothly. With a more disciplined collection process, more evidence could be preserved, which could and had led to a higher solve and conviction rate.

Booth gave the last presentation of the meeting. He explained that as an agent, know what was expected by the forensics team made doing his job easier. He had seen that, even with the FBI techs, once they had learned Brennan's methods and expectations. He also added, like Brennan had, that having agents and scientists have as much information as possible could only help them do their jobs better.

Booth sat down, giving Cam and Brennan a slight nod for a job well done. It was out of their hands. The Director and the Jeffersonian board would be deciding whether or not to allow the program to continue. The trio was then dismissed and told that a decision would be coming in the next few days. There was nothing left to do but wait.

* * *

_Four months earlier_

_Brennan caught herself starting to drift off again as she was checking her email. That was three times in the last hour. She was more tired than she had realized. Deciding that she could benefit from a short nap, she got up from her desk, closed her office door and stretched out on her couch. She had been very busy at work, juggling training session with the FBI agents and identifying remains. At least Dr. Bray was working the crime scenes. That was one less thing for her to do. She missed going into the field, but not as much as she thought she would. She thought it was made easier knowing that Booth wasn't in the field either. _

_Even with everything she was doing at work, she couldn't explain her extreme tiredness of late. Trying to think of a cause, she let her mind wander through the events of the last few months. Just thinking about how tired she had been was enough to put her to sleep. As she was drifting off, two puzzle pieces snapped together in her head. "Oh!"_

* * *

Brennan walked into Booth's office just as he was hanging up the phone. "Are you ready to go to lunch, Booth?"

"Yes, I am. But, I have something to tell you first." Walking around his desk, he led her over to sit on the couch in his office. "That was the Director on the phone. They have made a decision about the program."

"Well, Booth, what did they decide? Are they going to let us continue?" Her anxiety level was rising every second that Booth made he wait for an answer.

"They have decided to continue the program." He held his hand up to stop her. "They have a few conditions. They want to wait four months before starting the next class. That will give them time to evaluate the results of the new teams."

"That's reasonable. It would be pointless to continue the program if it weren't successful, no matter how much we might want it to continue. You said "conditions" - plural. I assume there is more." She still looked anxious.

"You won't have a problem with this one either. They want to keep the classes small, either three or four teams. I didn't mention that you had already determined that the classes needed to be that small. Let them think it's their idea, right? It can be a small victory for them."

"Is that it? Nothing else?" She hoped that was all. She was afraid that there would be a condition that she couldn't agree to. She didn't know what she would do if that were the case.

"There is just one last condition. They want to hold just one session each year. I know we were hoping for two, but the Director and the Jeffersonian board want to be able to evaluate each class of trainees before the next one starts."

Looking thoughtful, Brennan shrugged. "While I would prefer to run two sessions each year, I do understand their reasoning. I'm not sure what my duties will be the rest of the year, but that can be determined later."

"So, Bones, are you okay with their conditions? Anything you want me to back to them about. 'Cause you know, I would do that for you." He flashed his charm smile, hoping it would smooth over any issues she might have.

"I am willing to agree to their conditions. I don't have any of my own to add, not that I'm in a position to do so. I am relieved. We will still be partners, even if it is only part time." She looked into his chocolate eyes as she took his hand. "More importantly, you are my full time partner at home."

"Aw, Bones," he beamed at her, "that's very romantic. C'mere." He pulled her into a deep kiss, grateful that she had closed his door when she entered his office.

* * *

_Three months earlier_

_Booth walked in the house to the sound of Brennan's phone ringing. He found the phone on the kitchen counter, but Brennan was nowhere to be seen. He decided to answer it in her absence. _

"_Hello. May I speak to Temperance?"_

"_I just got home and I'm not sure where she is. Can I take a message? This is her husband."_

"_Of course. Thank you, Mr. Booth. This is Dr. Estrada's office. I was just calling to give Temperance her test results."_

_Booth was confused, but decided to play along. What test results? Was there something wrong with Bones? "Of course, her test results. I can give those to her, if you'd like."_

"_Yes, I see that I am authorized to speak with you. Congratulations, Mr. Booth! The blood test confirms that Temperance is pregnant. Please remind her to call for an appointment as soon as possible. Again, congratulations! Have a good day. Bye."_

_Booth was ecstatic about the news, but thought he wasn't happy with her for not telling him herself. He stood, lost in thought, until Brennan and Christine walked in from the back yard._

"_Daddy!" Christine launched herself at him, just like she did every day when he got home. "You're home!"_

"_Yes, I am and I'm so happy to see you and Mommy. Did you have a good day?" He half listened as Christine gave him a complete run down of her day. He was more focused on Brennan, trying to figure out how to get her alone. He didn't want to talk about the new baby in front of Christine just yet. _

_Brennan could see that her husband had something on his mind. She distracted Christine by having her pick up her toys in the living room. "Booth, what's wrong? I can tell by looking at you that something is bothering you."_

"_Really? Why would you think that?" Booth knew he needed to tone down the sarcasm, so he decided to start again. "Yes, Temperance, there is something I want to talk about."_

_Her eyes widened. His use of her name signaled the importance of what he had to say. She started to worry that something was very wrong. "Okay, what's wrong? You're scaring me."_

"_Did you happen to forget to tell me something? Something very important? Maybe even something life changing?" He paused, as much to let her think as it was for him to rein in his hurt and excitement. "Temperance, when were you going to tell me that you are pregnant?"_

_That was when she saw her phone in his hand and made an intuitive leap. The doctor's office must have called. "Booth, I'm pregnant. I was going to tell you. I meant to tell you, but we've been so busy. I just hadn't found the right time." She could see the hurt in his eyes. She regretted not telling him as soon as she had realized. "Please don't be upset with me." She gave him a shy smile, hoping to diffuse his disappointment in her._

_She need not have worried. Booth's excitement overcame any hurt he might have felt at being left out of the loop. At a loss for words, he gathered her into a tender embrace and nuzzled the sensitive spot just behind her ear. "I love you, Temperance." _

_With great relief, she leaned up and whispered in his ear, "I love you, too."_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N – I know that with this story constantly switching between the present (well, the future) and the past, things could get a little confusing. Just to clarify, present (future) is now two weeks after the graduation. I have debated going back and labeling all time shifts with the month and year. Opinions?_

_Thank you so much for the follows, favorites and reviews!_

* * *

Booth jogged down the stairs, wondering who was ringing the doorbell at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning. He looked through the peephole before throwing the door open.

"Parker!" With a huge grin on his face, he pulled his son into a bear hug. "I thought you were coming tomorrow."

"Hi, Dad! Hi, Bones!" Parker was looking over Booth's shoulder as Brennan walked down the stairs. "That was the plan, but Mom decided to leave early and I didn't have anything else to do. And, anyway, I missed you guys." He gave them both a shy smile. At seventeen, he knew most of his friends wouldn't admit to wanting to spend time with their parents. He loved spending time with his dad, stepmother and sister. He was thankful that he could spend time with his family whenever he wanted, unlike the years that he had spent in London.

"Parker," Brennan said as she reached out for a hug, "you know you are welcome here any time. This is your home, too." She reached up to lay a light kiss on his cheek. At 6'3", he had passed his father in height and Brennan had to go up on her toes to reach him.

Parker and Rebecca had returned to DC four months earlier, before the beginning of the school year. It still felt strange to see Parker whenever he wanted. Booth didn't think the excitement of seeing Parker would ever fade. They couldn't make up for all the lost time, but every time he saw his son, his heart healed a little.

"Hey, Bub, you know, Christine has talking about you nonstop for days. She'll be so happy that you're here a day early. Call her, just brace yourself after you do."

Parker walked to foot of the staircase. "Hey, Chrissy! Aren't you going to come say hi to me?" He planted his feet on the floor, his hands on his hips and waited to see what would happen next.

They heard Christine's bedroom door open, then her little feet running down the upstairs hall. She stopped at the top of the staircase. "Parker!" She flew down the stairs. Booth wasn't sure that her feet actually touched the treads. Reaching the bottom, she threw herself at her brother, almost knocking him over.

Booth walked over to Parker, patting him on the back and chuckling, "I told you to brace yourself."

Christine pulled back just far enough to look in her brother's face. "Parker, you're here! I'm so happy to see you. C'mon, I've got something to show you." She wriggled out of Parker's arms and dropped to the floor. "C'mon! Hurry up!" Parker looked at them pleadingly as Christine dragged him by the hand through the living room and kitchen and out the back door.

Booth watched his children until the door closed behind them, his daughter chattering the whole way. He pulled his wife against him, her back to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. He placed chin on her shoulder and his hand on her growing bump where his other child lay and sighed. If anyone had asked him what perfection was, he would have to say that it was moments like this, when his family was together.

* * *

_Two months earlier_

"_Hey, Parker! How's it going, Bub? How's school?" Booth smiled into his phone, happy to be able to call Parker without having to calculate time the time difference between DC and London. _

"_It's good. I've had a lot of homework, but nothing that I can't handle. I like my teachers and classes." _

"_We were hoping you could come over for dinner tomorrow night. Do you think you can swing that, even with your homework? You could stay over with us, if it's okay with your mom." _

"_Sure, I can do that. I'm sure it will be fine with Mom. I can just drive to school the next day." Booth still couldn't believe his son was driving. "Is everything alright?"_

"_Yes, of course it is. We just wanted to see you." Booth hoped that Parker wouldn't read too much into the invitation. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was a little worried about Parker's reaction to the news._

"_Oh, I thought maybe you and Bones were finally going to tell me about the baby." Parker laughed as he heard his father sputtering on the other end of the call._

_The ball that Booth had been bouncing off the wall was suddenly forgotten. "Huh? What? How did you know?" Booth was stunned into near silence._

"_Really, Dad? I'm seventeen, not seven. I can figure these things out for myself. I would have to still be in London to not have figured it out. Everyone knows that Bones is pregnant. We've all been waiting for you to say something. I just figured that you and Bones always do things your own way and that you would tell me when you were ready. I was getting tired of waiting on you two."_

"_Everyone knows? Really? It sounds like we don't need to make a big announcement to the team, then. We'd still like for you to be there when we tell Christine. You know, it's a family thing. Hey, wait – Christine doesn't know, does she?" He wanted __**someone**__ to be surprised when they made the announcement. _

_Parker chuckled again. "No, Dad, Chrissy doesn't know. I haven't told her and I don't think she would figure it out on her own." Parker thought his dad sounded like he needed a little reassurance. "She is going to be so excited. She is dying to be a big sister. She talks about it a lot!"_

"_That's a relief! I wasn't sure how she would take it. So, come over after school tomorrow and we'll tell Christine at dinner. Sound good?"_

"_Sounds great, Dad! See you tomorrow. Love you, Dad."_

"_Love you, too, Bub. See you then. Bye." Booth ended the call, chuckling to himself. He should have known that Parker would figure it out. He pushed speed dial one on his phone, "Hey, Bones, you aren't going to believe this…"_

* * *

Walking into the living room, Booth stopped to take in the scene. Brennan was curled up in one corner of the couch, one of her anthropology journals laying forgotten across her lap. Her attention had been captured by the two sitting on the floor. Booth's heart swelled as he looked at his two children. Parker was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Christine on his lap. Booth could see that Parker was reading to his sister, who was completely engrossed.

Brennan had heard Booth approach and turned to look at him. She held her hand out to him, an invitation for him to sit with her. He walked over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze as he remained standing. Clearing his throat to get his son's attention, he asked. "Hey, Parker, it's about time for me to go to hockey practice. Wanna come?"

Parker looked up at him and flashed a smile. "I was hoping you'd ask. My hockey bag is out in my car. I haven't played in a while. I hope that I'm not too rusty."

"Great! I'm sure you'll be fine. Go grab your bag and I'll meet you at the truck." He leaned down to give his wife a good-bye kiss, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

Placing a hand on his cheek, she whispered, "Have fun. Enjoy this time with him. We'll see you later. I love you."

* * *

_Two months earlier_

_Booth followed a very excited Christine through the front door. She had been surprised to see her brother's car in the driveway. As soon as she cleared the doorway, she had gone in search of him. Booth stopped to empty his pockets into the bowl that sat on the round oak table in the entryway. He followed Christine into the living room, where he found Brennan and his son huddled together over a stack of college catalogs._

"_Hiya, Bones! Hey, Bub! What's going on here?" He walked to the couch, braced his hands on the back of it and leaned over to see what they were looking at._

"_Parker and I were discussing which colleges he is planning on applying to. We are trying to narrow down his choices to his top three." Brennan held up a legal pad upon which they had started a list of pros and cons for each school being considered._

"_Really? Is it time for that already?" He had a hard time believing that Parker would be going to college in less than a year. He really hoped that Parker decided to stay close to home. _

_Leaving Christine to "entertain" Parker, the partners went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Working in companionable silence, Booth boiled pasta while his favorite sauce simmered and Brennan made a salad. Christine offered to set the table. In almost no time at all, the family was seated around the table enjoying a delicious meal. _

_Dinner conversation had covered many topics – the training program, Parker's college choices, and Christine's day at school. Christine even told a joke about how to catch a unique rabbit – u-nique up on it. Christine beamed when Parker laughed. After clearing the table and loading the dishwasher, it was time for the announcement._

_They were gathered in the living. Booth was on one end of the couch with Brennan on the other, her legs curled up under her. Parker had claimed the leather chair while Christine was sprawled on the floor. The kids were deciding which game they wanted to play, when Booth decided that it was as good a time as any to tell Christine about the baby. He looked at Brennan with raised eyebrows, as if asking "Now?" With a subtle shake of her head, she raised her chin toward Parker. "Just watch," she seemed to be saying._

_The kids had decided to play Guess Who, one of Christine's favorites. They were setting it up when Parker casually said, "Hey, Chrissy, remember when you said you wanted to be a big sister?"_

_Christine's blond curls bounced as she nodded, too occupied with the task before her to wonder why he has asked._

"_So, um, do you still want that? Or have you changed your mind?"_

_By now, all eyes were on Christine, waiting to see her reaction. She looked up at him and shrugged. "Yeah, sure, but you gotta talk to Mommy and Daddy about that, Parker. They keep telling me that it might happen __**someday**__." Her eye roll told him what she thought about that answer._

_Parker looked to Brennan for the okay to keep going. They had discussed this earlier, before Booth and Christine had gotten home. Brennan thought that having Parker tell his sister was a way to include him. She knew she should have asked Booth if it was okay, but she hadn't had the chance. The smile on his face was enough to convince her that she had done the right thing. She gave Parker a nod and he pressed on._

"_Well, that day is gonna be sooner rather than later." He sat back and waited for her reaction._

_Christine's head popped up from her game. She looked from her brother to her father and then to her mother, who nodded and held her arms out. Christine ran into her mother's arms and hugged her as hard as her little six-year-old arms could. She pulled back and looked into Brennan's eyes. "Really? Are we having a baby? Am I gonna be a big sister?"_

_Seeing the tears in his wife's eyes, Booth scooted across the couch to his girls and wrapped them in his arms. "Yeah, Christine, we're having a baby. You okay with that?"_

_Christine pulled away from her parents. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She ran back over to Parker, hugged him and told him that they had lots of plans to make before the baby was born. She plopped down on his lap, their game forgotten, as she started planning the first two years of the baby's life._

* * *

"Hey, Bones! We're home! You should have seen Parker. He was amazing, just like his old man."

Parker groaned at that. "I'm going to go shower. That was fun, Dad. Thanks for letting me tag along."

"I'm glad you came." Booth gave Parker a pat on the back, before going to kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "Bones, you should have seen him. He was really, really good." He flopped on the couch next to Brennan. "Ya know, he's a triple threat." Seeing the blank look on her face, he continued. "A triple threat – he's intelligent, athletic and he's got his dad's good looks. Get it?"

"Yes, Booth, he is all of those things." She gave his thigh a pat and left her hand resting on it. "He's become a wonderful young man. You and Rebecca should be very proud."

"I am proud, but I think Rebecca deserves most of the credit." He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, seeming a little uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "She's the one who has always been there for him. She's done a great job raising him."

"She may have always been _with_ him, but you have always been there _for_ him and he knows that. Rebecca didn't raise him alone. You contributed to his growth and development, don't forget that." She poked his thigh with her forefinger to emphasize her point. She knew what a wonderful father he was, even if he didn't always think so.

He nudged her with his shoulder. "Thanks, Bones, I guess I just need to be reminded sometimes." He took her hand in his own and rubbed his thumb across her wedding ring. It was a habit he had developed since their marriage. Sometimes it was to comfort or to reassure. In this instance, it was to express gratitude – gratitude that this woman loved him and knew him even better than he knew himself.

Trying to pull him out of his thoughts, she caressed his hand and spoke softly. "Have you told Rebecca how you feel, that she has been a good mother to him? She might need a reminder, too."

Booth looked at her in amazement. Temperance Brennan could, on occasion, be completely oblivious to the needs of others. And at other times, like now, her perceptiveness was startling. "You know, you're right. I should tell her that. She probably needs a reminder, too."

* * *

_Two months earlier_

_Booth reached across the truck to hold Brennan's hand. She turned her head to smile at him and he couldn't help but notice the red glints brought out by the sun streaming through the window. "So, how do you want to do this? Do you want to make a big announcement from the platform or did you have something else in mind? Parker did say that everyone already knows."_

"_But, Booth, that isn't possible. They can't __**know**__. We haven't told them yet. They don't access to my medical records. They are guessing or making assumptions based on – I don't know what."_

_Booth squeezed her hand and smiled. "That's true, but their guesses are right. So, they do know even if they don't know that they know." _

_She shook her head at his circuitous statement. "I had thought that maybe we could just waited until someone mentioned my increasing girth." Sigh. "But, I know that if we don't tell Angela soon, she will be very angry with me. If we tell Angela, we have to tell everyone else, right?"_

"_We do. I'll just follow your lead. You know they will all be happy for us. It's not like we're giving them bad news."_

_She nodded in all seriousness. "You are making sense. Are you ready to go tell them?"_

"_Let's do this!" Booth jumped out of the truck and ran around to open Brennan's door. She humored the alpha male in him and patiently waited. After he opened the door, she climbed out and started walking toward the entrance of the lab. Booth jogged to catch up, putting his arm around her shoulders when he reached her. She leaned into him as they walked toward their destination._

"_I'm going to my office. Can you get everyone to come in there?"_

"_Sure thing! I'll go round everyone up and meet you there." Booth made his way around the lab, starting at Angela's office, stopping by Hodgins Ookie room and Cam's office. He also grabbed the Wendall and the interns from the platform, figuring they should just tell everyone at once._

_Angela stood with her hand on her hip, eyeing Booth. "Okay, Booth, what's going on? Why are we all here?" _

"_Well, Ange, everyone, Bones and I have something to tell you."_

_Cam groaned. "Please tell me you aren't making more changes around here. I think we've had enough for a while."_

"_Well, Camille…" Booth was starting to enjoy dragging this out. "There are going to be some changes…" He left the sentence hanging, drawing the suspense out just a little longer._

_Brennan took pity on their friends and gave Booth a look that said "Get on with it or I will." _

_Before she could say anything, he jumped in, "We're adding a team member." He went back to the phrasing Brennan had used. _

_She gave him a wry little smile, recognizing her own words. She looked around the room at the confused faces staring back at her. "What Booth is trying to say is –"_

"_Bones, I've got this. Yes, we are adding a team member, in about five months." Again, he let the words hang in the air, waiting to see would who figure it out first._

_Angela squealed and held her hand out. "Time to pay up, guys!" After collecting her winnings, she walked over to give Brennan a hug. "I'm so happy for you, Sweetie. I can't wait to be an aunt again."_

"_So, who's going to tell me about this bet, huh, Bug-boy?" Booth clapped a hand on Hodgins' shoulder and gave it a squeeze._

"_Hey, G-man, calm down. We figured out weeks ago that Dr. B is pregnant. We were just betting to see how long it would take you to tell us. I thought it would be when Dr. B went into labor and you needed us to watch Christine."_

_Booth had to laugh at that. Tension now broken, their friends congratulated them with hugs, handshakes, and a pat or two on the back for Booth. Before long, Cam reminded everyone that there was work to be done and the squints returned to their stations. _

_Walking over to Booth, Brennan wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. He gathered her in even closer and rest his head atop of hers. "Well, at least Christine was surprised." They both chuckled and remained in their embrace._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. Thanks again to my beta, dgschneider. Thanks also to wendish for some help with word choice. One last thank you to SnowyBones and Covalent Bond for your wonderful reviews._

* * *

"Bones! Are you ready yet? People are going to start arriving any minute." Booth stood at the foot of the staircase, hands on his hips. As if to prove his point, the doorbell rang. "Bones! Hurry up! Chop chop!"

Booth opened the door to find the Hodgins family on the other side. "Happy Thanksgiving, guys! Come on in. Bones is still upstairs getting dressed." Booth looked at Angela holding two-year-old Cara's hand in her right hand and a garment bag in her left. "Is that for Bones? She's having a wardrobe crisis."

"Don't worry, Booth, I've got this. Bren called and asked me to bring her something to wear." Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she and Cara headed up to the master bedroom.

"Come on, guys, let's get this food to the kitchen." Booth took the casserole dish that Michael Vincent was holding and led the way to the kitchen. "Hey, Mikey, I think Christine is up in her room. Go on up and say hi."

"So, Booth, what happened? Did Dr. B wake up and find that none of her clothes fit her anymore?" He laughed as Booth nodded. "I remember that happening to Angie several times. Sounds like it's time for the two of them to go shopping again. Angie will love that. You know how she loves to shop, and not just for herself." He took the bottle of water that Booth held out to him and took a drink. "What made you guys decide to have the whole team over for Thanksgiving? That's a lot of people to cook for."

Booth shook his head. "Not everyone is coming. A few of them, like Cortney and Kimberly went to see their families. I think the rest of the team will be here. Everyone is pitching in, so it's not too much work for us."

The doorbell rang again, and Booth went to answer it. Looking over his shoulder at Hodgins, he added, "We want to make the new team members feel like part of the family. This seemed like a good way to start. Sweets would have called it a team building activity."

Booth opened the door and felt like he was watching clowns get out of a car, as the rest of the team streamed into his house. Each one gave him a hug or a handshake as they made their way to the kitchen to deposit their dishes on counter.

Booth turned toward the stairs again, to call his wife and stopped in his tracks. Brennan was walking down the stairs in a dress that accented her eyes and caressed the beautiful curve of her pregnant belly. "You look beautiful." When she reached the bottom of the stairs, he planted a kiss on her lips and took her hand. Looking over her shoulder at Angela, who was carrying Cara down the stairs, "You did good, Ange! Everyone is here, ladies. Let's eat!"

* * *

_One year earlier_

_The partners were seated at a table at the Founding Fathers, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Booth looked at his wife and saw the nervous tics that she was trying to hide from him - clasping and unclasping her hands, eyes darting from the door to her watch to him. He was unaccustomed to seeing her so twitchy, it was making him nervous. Wrapping her clasped hands in his own, he waited for her to look him in the eyes._

"_Hey, Bones, what's going on? I thought you were ready to do this. Or have you changed your mind?" Her hand felt like ice. He rubbed them , trying to warm them up._

_Unable to hold his gaze, she looked down at their hands. "I don't know." _

_It was so faint, he barely heard it in the noisy bar. His gut clenched. Was she unsure about telling the team or about their decision? Lifting her chin with a finger, he caught her eyes again. This was too important to them to not clarify what she meant. "Help me out here, Bones. What don't you know?"_

_She opened her hands and placed them on the table as if to brace herself. "I'm not sure we've made the right decision." There, she said it. The doubt that she had tried to bury was now out in the open. She waited. She waited for the explosion that was surely coming. This had all been settled. They had agreed. Booth would take the promotion. She would help design and run the training program. It was too late to back out now. But she had doubts. She still waited._

_He should have seen this coming. How long had he known her? He knew, that even after all this time, she still didn't deal with change well. Her whole professional life was about to be turned upside down and she didn't know how to handle it. _

"_Bones, it's okay to have doubts. This is a major, life-changing decision. I would be concerned if you didn't have a doubt or two. That just wouldn't be you. We are in this together. If we need to talk about this more, we can. I know the team will be here soon. We can tell them about the job offers. We can tell them we are still considering our options." He put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. He placed a light kiss on her temple and rubbed her shoulder, the silky fabric of her blouse sliding under his hand. "So, can you tell me what you are having doubts about?"_

"_I'm worried that you won't be satisfied working behind a desk. I know you can do the job. I just don't know if you will be happy doing it." His happiness was always important to her. She continued to worry with her hands, rubbing them together, clasping them, tapping her fingertips on the table. "I don't know if I will be satisfied not going in the field. What if the training program isn't enough of a challenge for me?" She had been speaking excitedly, her fears coming through in every word. She was hesitant to voice what was eating at her. In a near whisper, she threw caution to the wind and put a name to it. "What if the team doesn't want to make this change with us? What will I do then?"_

"_Oh, Bones, baby, come here." Now both of his arms were around her as he felt he shudder into him. He spoke next to her ear in low tones. "I can't promise that I will be sitting behind a desk every day is going to be my ideal job, but I will be happy that I'm not risking my life every day. I am going to be __**ecstatic**__ to still be working with you, even if it is in a different way." He pulled back enough to see her shimmering eyes. "As for you, Temperance, I know you will miss being in the field. But, I think that creating this program and running it is going to be a huge challenge. One that you can meet and excel at." He pulled back a little more, letting his hands slide down her arms, grabbing her hands. "Now, the team, they are loyal to you, not the Jeffersonian or anyone else. They would follow you anywhere and do anything you asked of them. Don't you know that by now?"_

"_You think I am just seeing problems where there aren't any, don't you?" She still sounded so small and unsure. "I know that the two of us will be fine. I really do know that. I just wonder if it's too much to expect the team to follow us into this. I don't know if I can do this without them."_

"_Well, Bones," nodding at the door, "I __**know**__ we can do this. It's time to find out what the team wants to do. Here come they now. So, what do we tell them? Are we all in or are we still thinking about it?" He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear as he waited for her response. In her blue-grey eyes, he could see her confidence returning as she sat up a little straighter. _

"_We're all in. I'm ready." She gave him that smiled he loved so much, the one where one side of her mouth curled up and her eyes sparkled, as she turned to give Angela, and then Cam, a hug. _

_Booth shook Jack's hand and gave Wendell a pat on the back. "Come on guys, have a seat." He signaled for the waitress. "What's everyone drinking? I'm buying!"_

* * *

Leftovers had been put away and dishes washed. Brennan stole a moment to savor the outcome of their Thanksgiving celebration. The team members were sitting in small groups, wherever they could find room. Brennan watched as these people, the new team members and the team she had worked with for years, took the time to learn about each other. It was the first step in becoming a unified team.

She felt more than heard Booth walk up behind her. She could feel his breath against her hair as he wrapped his arms around her and their unborn child. With his chin on her shoulder, he whispered, "Hey, you look happy. What are you thinking about?"

She rested her head against his. "This is going to work. The new team, I mean. I was afraid that they would remain fragmented, old versus new. But, look, they're talking and getting to know each other. They're starting to build relationships with each other. This is how we started out. I think we chose the right people to take over for us."

She could feel his smile as well as hear it in his voice. "Yeah, Bones, I think we did. I think we can be confident that what we started will continue." He released her and moved to stand in front of her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go mingle." He led her to where Angela and Agent Sparling were talking before he went to talk to Agent Zhang. "So, Eric, how are you liking life with the squints?"

* * *

"_Now that everyone is here, Bones and I have an announcement or two to make." He looked around the table. All eyes were on him. These people were not just co-workers, they were his friends. He knew they would all be happy for him, even Caroline, although she might not let on. "I have been offered and have accepted the position of Deputy Director."_

_For several seconds, that seemed more like minutes, everyone stared at him in shock. Then, as a group, they all started peppering Booth with questions. Booth held his hand up to silence them. "Hey guys, this is good news, right?"_

_Angela spoke up first, worry for her friend etched on her face. "Yeah, Booth, this is great. You deserve this. But, what about Bren? What's she going to do now?" She reached across the table to grab Brennan's hand. "Are you okay with this, sweetie?"_

"_Well, Ange, you have brought us to our second announcement of the evening. Bones?" He gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze._

"_First, I'd like to say how proud I am of Booth." She laid a hand on his arm, needing the contact with him in order to continue. "He has turned down many promotions in the past so that we could continue to work together. While I would like to continue working with him in the field, I cannot ask him to put his career on hold in order to do that. I have informed the FBI that I will no longer be available for fieldwork. Cam will need to name an anthropologist to replace me."_

"_But, Bren, what are __**you**__ going to do now? You've fought hard to stay in the field, even when you were pregnant. How can you give it up now?" Angela's voice was full of concern for her friend. She gave Brennan's hand another squeeze, trying to get her to continue._

_Brennan was starting to relax. This felt more like a conversation between two friends instead of an announcement in front of the whole team. With a smile, she started again. "Ange, that wasn't the announcement." Angela's face mirrored the confusion the whole team was feeling at the moment. "Booth and I have been offered the opportunity to build a program to train other agents and scientists to do what we do. We were hoping that all of you would help us with that."_

_Angela got up and rounded the table to wrap her best friend in a hug. "Sweetie, that's fantastic! It's perfect for you! You'll still be involved in solving crimes __**and**__ you can get back to teaching, right?" Angela looked around the table at the other team members. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm in."_

"_Well," Booth said as he looked at their friends, their team, "what about you guys? Are you in? We really don't want to have to try to do this without you."_

_One by one, their friends said they would be part of the program. The partners shared a look that was heavy with relief. One more obstacle had been overcome. _

_Hodgins signaled the waitress for another round of drinks. Once everyone had theirs, he stood to offer a toast. "To Booth, congrats on the promotion, man, you deserve it. I know you'll do a great job. And to Dr. B, congrats and good luck on the new training program. We're all behind you, one hundred percent. To Booth and Brennan!" The clinking of glasses seemed to signal a new beginning to the partners._

* * *

Almost everyone had gone home. Only the Hodgins and Cam remained. They were all gathered in the living room, watching the kids play with Christine's extensive collection of wooden building blocks. Christine and Michael were building their version of the Taj Mahal while Cara was having fun building towers and knocking them down.

Cam and Brennan were discussing potential candidates for the next training session when Cam's phone rang. "Saroyan." She looked at Booth and rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Where?" Looking at Hodgins, she shook her head. "OK, we're on our way." She ended the call and let her chin fall to her chest. Looking back up, she said, "We've got a body." Booth and Hodgins groaned simultaneously. "What's your problem, Big Man? You get to stay with your family, remember? Hodgins and I have to go suit up. Come on, you can ride with me."

Booth stood up to walk Cam and Hodgins to the door. "Who's on call tonight? Do you want me to go out with you guys?"

Cam laughed, "Seeley, I think we can handle this. If we have any problems, I'm sure you'll get a phone call. As for who is on call tonight, I think it is Fisher and Jameson. Well, at least Fisher won't mind being called out on Thanksgiving."

"Thanks for coming, guys. It wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without you." He gave Cam a quick hug and Hodgins a pat on the back. "Be careful out there. Call me if you have any problems. Got it?"

"Yeah, man, we've got it. Angie, text me when you get home. Michael, Cara be good for your mom. Thanks for dinner, Dr. B. It was great." He kissed his wife good-bye and walked out the door after Cam.

Brennan had had a wonderful day and wasn't ready for it to end. "Ange, you aren't going now, are you? Stay for a while. The kids are having fun and we can just sit and talk."

"Sure, Bren, we'll stay for a while. Did you see Dr. Larkin and Agent Sparling huddled in the corner earlier? Do you think there is something going on –"

* * *

Three hours later, the Hodgins had left. Christine was in bed and Parker had gone back to Rebecca's. Brennan was changing for bed while Booth locked up. He had just doubled-checked the lock on the back door when his phone rang.

"Booth" As he listened, his stomach felt sick, his heart started racing and he broke out in a cold sweat. "I'll be there in twenty minutes!" He had made his way to the foot of the stairs while he listened to the caller. "Bones! I've got to get to the hospital. I'll call you!"


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N - Thanks for sticking with me on this story. I hope I didn't leave you hanging on that cliff too long. As always, thanks to my beta dgschenider. If you aren't reading "Need," you really, really should. She is one crazy talented writer. Thanks for all of the follows, favorites and reviews! Everyone single one is appreciated by both me and my muse. _

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Bones or it's characters. I just borrow them from time to time._

* * *

"Bones! I've got to get to the hospital. I'll call you!"

* * *

Brennan paced the living room as she hit redial on her phone another time. She just couldn't wait for Booth to call. Finally, an answer! "Booth! What is going on? Did something happen to Parker?"

"No, Parker's fine. Bones, I'm sorry I left so fast. Cam called and I have to get to the hospital."

"You already said that. What happened?"

"I promise to fill you in, I just don't have time right now. The short story is that there was an incident at the crime scene. Two of our people have been taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. Baby, one of them was Jack."

Brennan sat on the couch as her legs gave out. She felt lightheaded, but knew she had to keep it together. "How bad is it?" Words said so softly that Booth wasn't sure whether he had actually heard them or had just anticipated her next question.

"I don't know. I'm almost at the hospital. They're being taken to George Washington. I'll call you as soon as I know anything. I need you to do something for me now. I've called Parker. He is coming back to the house. He's going to stop on the way and get Ange and the kids. He'll watch the little ones while you and Ange come here. I need you to call Ange and tell her what's going on so that she will be expecting Parker."

"Booth," shaking her head, she almost whined his name, "I can't do it. I don't know what to say. I'll say the wrong thing."

He could hear the tears she was fighting creep into her voice. "Temperance, you can do this. Ange needs to hear it from you. Now, do you think you are okay to drive or should I send an agent to get you?"

"I'll be fine, Booth. Just promise you will call as soon as you get an update. Oh. You said two of our people. Who was the second person?"

"Agent Jameson. I don't know anything about his condition either." She could hear the frustration, anger and concern in his voice. He was always greatly affected when one of "his" people was hurt on the job. "Bones, please be careful driving. I'll see you soon, right? And I promise to call as soon as I know anything. I love you, Temperance."

"I love you, too, Booth. I'll call Angela now." With the call disconnected, she gave herself a minute to worry about her friend before dialing Angela's phone number.

* * *

_Five months earlier_

"_Dr. Hodgins, I don't understand why you think it's so important to know all of this… stuff!" Agent Matt Jameson threw his hands up in frustration. He was an agent with the FBI, damn it! "How does any of this __**any**__ information help me solve crimes?"_

_Jack Hodgins knew the agent was frustrated. He also knew he needed to diffuse the situation before it got completely out of control. "Hey, man, look, I know that you have zero interest in bugs and slime. And you're right, you probably won't have to identify those things for yourself. You have us squints for that." _

_A smug look was crossing Jameson's face, as if he thought __**he**__ was going to win this argument. "My point exactly!"_

_Jack knew who was going to win this one. He was only getting started. "I'm going to make a suggestion. Ask Booth about this. When he started working with us, he knew nothing about what we do here. He thought crimes were only solved by cops. Obviously, since he helped design this program, his feelings on that have changed."_

_Jameson was willing to concede that point. "Okay, you're right about that. Booth wouldn't have put us here if he didn't think it would help us do our jobs."_

_Thinking that he was getting through to the agent, Jack continued. "Something else for you to think about. If we are at a crime scene, or here at the lab, and I'm rattling off a string of names of what I found in, say, a soil sample, wouldn't you like to have a clue what I'm talking about?" Jack could see that his arrow had hit the target. Jameson was considering what he said. "I do think you should talk to Booth about this, though, for the agent's perspective."_

_Jameson rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'll do that. While I see your point, I still don't think this," he waved his hand to indicate Jack's plants and bugs, "is really necessary."_

_Jack got up from the stool he had been sitting on. "Well, man, I really hope that Booth can convince you, because I'd hate to see you have to leave the program, because you think this," he mimicked Jameson's hand motion, "is unnecessary." With that, Jack walked out of his Ookie Room, leaving Jameson to consider what he had said._

* * *

"Hey, Bren! What's up? Did we leave something your place?"

She sounds so happy, Brennan thought. I wish I didn't have to be the one to tell her. "Hi, Angela. No, I don't think you left anything." Brennan felt her walls going up. She knew she needed to detach in order to get through this. She had to be strong for Angela. "Cam called Booth from the crime scene."

"Yeah? What's going on? Why would Cam need to call Booth when she has Jameson on site?" Angela sounded confused, but not concerned. Brennan knew that was about to change.

"There was an incident, a shooting at the crime scene. I don't have the details. Booth is going to call me when he gets to the hospital." This was much harder than she had expected. She listened to the silence on the other end of the call. She knew Angela was waiting for her to continue. Taking a deep breath, she pressed on. "Ange, Jack was shot." As much as she wanted to, she couldn't completely compartmentalize. She had lost that ability when she opened herself up to love, to Booth and all of her friends. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she waited for her friend's reaction.

"Noooo! Brennan, where is he? I have to get to him!" Angela, always the more emotional of the two friends, was nearly hysterical.

Listening to her friend sobbing, Brennan tried to calm her. "Ange, I'm sure he will be fine. Booth is going to call as soon as her knows something. Parker is on his way to your house. He is going to bring you and the kids here. He'll stay with them while I take you to the hospital. I'll be with you the whole time."

Brennan could tell that Angela was trying, but failing, to get her crying under control. "Bren, he has to be okay. He just has to. I don't know what I'd do without him." She sounded so small, so unlike her vibrant self.

"Angela, listen to me, he will be fine. I don't want you to think like that. Now, I need you to get off the phone and get the kids ready. Pack some clothes for them and for yourself." Maybe giving Angela a task would help her focus. "Parker will be there soon. If I hear from Booth, I will call you. I promise. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah, we'll be there soon." She let out a sigh, before continuing. "Bren, thank you. Thanks for being the one to tell me. Thank you for not leaving it to an agent or a cop." She hung up, not knowing what else to say.

Brennan dropped the phone on the floor, the walls around her heart and her head into her hands and started sobbing.

* * *

_Five months earlier_

_Booth walked into his office and was surprised to see Agent Jameson waiting for him. "What can I do for you, Matt?" Booth asked as he closed the door. Walking to his desk, he sat his coffee cup down, turned and looked expectantly at the agent. Booth was unprepared for the anger that Jameson was about to unleash on him._

"_Yesterday, Dr. Hodgins informed me that I am in danger of being dismissed from the program!" Jameson rose from the chair he had been sitting in and began pacing around the office. "He said that if I don't improve my scores on the bug and slime stuff that I will be gone. Can he really do that?"_

_Booth gave the agent a sympathetic look. "Yeah, Matt, I'm afraid he can. If you fail a section, at any point in the program, you'll be dismissed. You knew that going in."_

"_Yeah, but I didn't expect to have to learn the Latin names for all those bugs and plants. I didn't even expect to have to learn the common names! I'm an investigator, not a scientist." He shook his head, his frustration building once again. "Why is this so important if we are going to have the squints with us?"_

"_Look, Matt, it may not seem like it now, but it will help you down the road." He noted Jameson's skeptical look before going on. "When I first started with the squints, I didn't have a clue what they were talking about half of the time. I needed a translation every time Brennan and Hodgins opened their mouths. But the more I worked with them, the more squint speak I began to pick up." He leaned against the front edge of his desk and indicated that Jameson should sit as well. "If nothing else, we worked more efficiently when we could skip the squint-to-English translations. In reality, as I began to understand them better, we developed a trust between us. They knew I valued and respected what they contributed to solving cases. I knew that they were working every bit as hard as I was to solve each and every case thrown at us."_

_Jameson let his head drop backwards until it rested on the back of the chair. He stared up at the ceiling as he thought about what Booth said. He rubbed his hands across his face, lifted his head and looked directly at Booth. "I understand all of that, I really do. I don't know how I will learn it all. There is just so much."_

"_Matt, look, you don't have to learn everything. That isn't what this program is about. You're here to learn about forensics. You're also here to learn how to work with the squints and how best to use them in an investigation." Booth reached out and put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "I know it seems overwhelming, but go back and look at the guidelines for this section. I think you'll be surprise about what is expected of you. I know you can do this. I wouldn't have chosen you if I thought otherwise." He gave Jameson an encouraging smile and continued. "Go back and talk to Hodgins again. I'm sure if he realizes that you are going to take this seriously, he will give you all the help you need. Jack Hodgins is a great guy. He's pushing you because he knows you can do this."_

_Booth stood and Jameson followed his lead. "Thanks, Booth, for listening and for talking me off the ledge." He shook Booth's hand and started to leave the office. He paused for a moment, turned back and said, "You know, I'm not the only agent having problems at the Jeffersonian. You probably haven't heard the last of this." Giving Booth something to think about, Jameson walked out the door. _

_Booth watched Jameson go and wondered to himself, "Great. I wonder who I'm going to hear from next."_

* * *

Parker arrived with Angela and the kids in tow. Brennan could tell that Angela was struggling to act normally in front of the kids. Michael and Cara, however, were excited to get to spend the night with Christine.

Parker, picking up on a look from Brennan, decided to give Angela and Brennan some privacy. "Hey, Mikey, Cara, let's go get you guys tucked into bed."

"Thanks, Parker. I put sleeping bags in Christine's room for them." Brennan mouthed "thank you" to her step-son. Knowing that the children were being cared for would help her and Angela focus on Jack and Agent Jameson.

"Did ya hear that, guys? It's going to be like a campout in Christine's room!" Parker picked up Cara and walked over to the stairs. "Come on, Mikey!"

Angela walked to each of her children, gave them both a hug and whispered her love. Turning her back to them, she wiped the tears from her eyes and threw herself into Brennan's waiting arms. "Have you heard anything from Booth?"

"No, he hasn't called yet. I thought we could try calling from the car." Brennan rubbed her best friend's back, trying to comfort her, at least in a small way. "Are you ready to go? Come on, let's go see how Jack is." Brennan took Angela's hand as if she were a small child and led her out the door.

* * *

_Four months earlier_

"_Hey, Bren. Do you have a minute? I have an idea that I want to run by you." Angela walked into Brennan's office and plopped down on her couch. Taking her shoes off, she propped her feet on the coffee table and sighed. "Ah! That feels so good. I've been on my feet all day."_

"_What is your idea?" Brennan had a stack of papers on her desk that needed grading and was trying to move the conversation along._

"_You know how we keep saying we need to find a way to make the trainees feel like they are part of a team. Well, I have an idea of something we can do, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you. I don't want to bring up old, painful memories." Angela bit her lip, worried about Brennan's reaction to her plan. Deciding that she was already committed to the conversation, she continued. "I was thinking that we could gotoakaraokebar." The last bit was so run together that Brennan had no idea what Angela was trying to say._

"_Angela, I don't know what that means. What are you trying to say?"_

_Sensing that Brennan was quickly tiring of the conversation, Angela jumped in one more time. "I said, I think we could go to a karaoke bar." She tried to gauge Brennan's reaction, but her friend wasn't giving anything away. "If it would be too painful for you, we can find something else to do. I just thought we could all bond over mutual embarrassment. What do you think?" For years after Booth took a bullet meant for Brennan, her friend had avoided karaoke bars. Booth's shooting at the Checkerbox was bad enough. Thinking he was dead for two weeks was so much worse. The association had been a hard one for Brennan to get past._

_Brennan considered this for a moment. In the past, she would have rejected the idea immediately. But now, she found that the idea didn't bother her. Maybe it was knowing that Booth was hers. She knew he wasn't property, but no matter how much she insisted that people could not be property, he was hers, just as she was his. Or, maybe it was just that time had taken the sharp edges off of that particular hurt, so that it only caused discomfort, not pain. "Angela, I think that is a great idea. Time together away from the lab is probably what everyone needs. We've all been working very hard."_

_Angela's shock clearly evident. Remembering to close her mouth, she jumped up to give Brennan a hug. "Are you sure, Sweetie? You're really okay with this?"_

"_Angela, that was nearly ten years ago. Things have changed so much in that time. Booth and I are together. We have a family. In thinking about that night, I find that it doesn't hurt like it once did. I can do this. Why don't we plan to go tomorrow night? I'll let you organize the evening and notify everyone." _

"_Sure, Bren, I'll let you know when and where. I think this is just what everyone needs." Discussion over, Angela noticed that Brennan had already gone back to grading, her friend's presence forgotten._

* * *

Booth met them at the ER entrance. He pulled them both into a hug and whispered, "He's going to be okay. He's stable. You can go see him soon. He's going to be fine. I promise. I always keep my promises, right?"

Angela collapsed into Booth, crying tears of relief. Brennan pulled back to look at Booth and ask the questions that Angela wasn't able to.

"What are his injuries?" Brennan felt that, for the moment, was more important than what had happened. They had plenty of time to get to those details.

"You know he was shot. It was a through and through in his right shoulder. It missed all bones and arteries. He'll be out of surgery soon. They just had to go in, clean it up and close it up. His vitals have been good the whole time. He really is going to be fine, Ange."

Relieved that her husband's condition wasn't as dire as she had imagined, she pulled herself together. She had a few questions for Deputy Director Booth and she wanted answers now. "What happened Booth? Why would someone shoot Jack?" Brennan wrapped her arm around her friend's waist, supporting her. "This doesn't make any sense."

"Angela, let's go sit down. I'll tell you everything that I know." Choosing seats in a deserted corner of the waiting room, the three of them settled in. "According to several people on scene, Jack had called Jameson over to show him something he had found in the soil near the body. That's when shots were fired. Both Jack and Matt went down."

"Oh, I forgot about Matt! How is he?" Angela almost felt guilty that she hadn't asked about the agent. She'd been too focused on her husband.

Booth patted her knee. "It's okay, Ange. You were worried about Jack. You're right to be focused on him." He knew that both women would take this hard. "Matt is in bad shape. It will be a while before we know if he's going to make it." He was having a hard time keeping his composure. These were his people, which meant this was personal for him. "I'm waiting for Charlie to bring me all of the statements from the scene. As soon as Jack is able, we'll need to get a statement from him. The techs are still at the scene, well, both scenes now."

Angela understood that they were still waiting on information to come in from the scene. She just couldn't understand why it happened in the first place. She couldn't wrap her head around it and she didn't like having to wait for the answers.

Booth got out of his chair and squatted down in front of Angela, taking her hands. Sensing there was more bad news, Brennan wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Ange, there's something else. I talked to Cam right before you got here. Her cop spidey-sense is tingling. She thinks the original crime scene was staged to draw us out. And if I'm right, this wasn't a random shooting. It was a hit."

* * *

_A/N2 - Please let me know what you think about this story by leaving a review in that little box below. Thanks! craftyjhawk_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N – Thanks again for all of the follows, favorites and reviews! They are helping to keep this story going._

_Disclaimer – I still don't own Bones or any of its characters. I just borrow them from time to time._

* * *

Angela visibly paled at Booth's statement. She hadn't thought she could be more shocked in this situation. What could be worse than her husband being shot? Being told that it might have been a hit certainly qualified. "But, Jack doesn't have any enemies. Who would want to kill him?"

Booth rubbed Angela's ice cold hands, trying to work some warmth back into them. "Angela, look at me. I don't think the shooter was after Jack. I'm not positive it was a hit. We just need to wait and see what the crime scene crew finds. Let's not make any assumptions here, okay?"

"Booth! If you think you know who did this, then you have to go find them! Why are you sitting here? You should be doing something!" Angela pushed Booth's hands away. She wanted him to get up and go find the person responsible for shooting her husband.

Picking up on the pleading look her husband sent her way, Brennan spoke up. "Angela, you trust Booth, right?" Angela nodded. "Then, you know he will doing everything possible to find the shooter. The logical thing to do is to wait for the reports from the crime scene. If he starts making assumptions now, with no evidence, he could be sending the investigation in the wrong direction." Brennan gave Angela's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You're only concern right now should be Jack. Let Booth worry about the investigation."

"Yeah, you're right Bren. I'm sorry, Booth. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just need this guy caught."

"Don't worry, Angela. I'll get him." Booth looked at the phone buzzing in his hand and stood up. "I've got to take this. It's Charlie. Hopefully, he's got some news for us." Booth walked outside to take the call. He wanted to be able to censor, if necessary, the information that he gave to Angela.

Angela's heart sank a little more as she watched Booth walk out the ER exit. She had wanted Booth to put the call on speakerphone so that she could hear what Charlie had to say. "Bren, I need to know what's going on."

"Ange, I think Booth just wanted to go outside where it's quiet. He'll come tell us what's going on as soon as he can."

The friends sat, side-by-side, each lost in her own thoughts. Angela was anxiously waiting for the doctor to give them a report on Jack's surgery. Brennan was concerned for her friends and having a difficult time accepting that there was nothing she could do to make the situation better. So, they waited in the dim, depressing waiting room for the doctor and for Booth and for anyone else who had news that could make sense out of any of the night's events.

* * *

_Nine months earlier_

_Booth felt like he had been interviewing agents to fill the four spots in the training program for weeks. In reality, it had been two days. He had one interview left and he was ready for it to be over so he could go home to his girls. He stood as his assistant led Agent Jameson into his office._

"_Agent Jameson, it's good to meet you. I'm Deputy Director Seeley Booth." He leaned across the desk to shake the agent's hand. "Please have a seat. I've been looking over your file. Your work with the Bureau has been quite impressive."_

"_Thank you, sir. I'd like to think that my record speaks for itself." Jameson was trying to walk the fine line between being self-assured and being cocky. He wouldn't be doing himself any favors if he alienated the Deputy Director._

"_So, Jameson, tell me a little about yourself. Why do you want to be part of this program?" Booth looked relaxed, leaning back in his chair. It was part of his effort to put the agent at ease._

"_Well, I'm thirty-six years old, originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from Duke University with a degree in mathematics." He paused, to gauge Booth's reaction so far. At Booth's slight nod, he continued. "After graduation, I worked for a consulting firm in Charlotte for three years until I could apply with the Bureau. After I completed my training, I was assigned to the Charlotte field office. I worked in the Charlotte office for two years before being transferred to the New York office."_

"_That's very impressive, indeed. It sounds like your career is on the fast track. So, why are you interested in our program?" Booth was now leaning forward, with his forearms resting on his desk. He wanted to draw more out of this agent than just basic facts. _

"_I'm ready for a new challenge, sir. I feel that I've done all that I can do in my current position. I think the challenge of being partnered with a non-agent, a scientist, is just what I need." _

_The interview continued for another thirty minutes as they discussed cases that Agent Jameson had been a part of. Both men walked away from the meeting feeling encouraged. Booth felt he had just filled a spot in the program. Jameson felt that Booth might be willing to accept him into the program regardless of the liability that his past might represent._

* * *

Angela tensed when she saw Booth walk back into the ER. Before making his way to Brennan and Angela, he had stopped at the information desk. "Hey, let's move upstairs to the OR waiting room? OK? I'll fill you in on everything Charlie told me when we get up there. We'll let the nurse know that we are going to be in one of the private waiting rooms, so that we can talk freely." Booth and Brennan each kept an arm wrapped around Angela as they made their way to the elevator and then to the waiting room.

Booth barely had time to sit down before Angela began to bombard him with questions. "What did Charlie say? Any idea who did this? Why would someone be after Jack?"

Booth sighed, deciding to answer her last question first. "Ange, we're pretty sure that Jack wasn't the target. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Angela didn't know whether to be relieved or angry. She was so relieved that the shooter wasn't after Jack. But, she was so angry about everything else. "How do you know he wasn't trying to kill Jack? Was Agent Jameson the target?"

"Ange, I can't go into the details just yet. There was something found at the scene that leads me to believe that Matt was the intended target. I'll tell you more as soon as I can." He wrapped one of Angela's hands in his own. "Jack's going to be fine. Focus on that." Booth looked up as a doctor walked through the door of the waiting room. "Hey, Doc, can we see Dr. Hodgins now?"

The doctor, who was very familiar with Booth, having treated him several times, nodded. "He's doing really well. Surgery was as uncomplicated as I thought it would be. He's getting moved to a room right now, but he's still groggy. For now, we're keeping visitors to family only, just one at a time. If he continues to do as well as I expect, we'll be able to loosen those restrictions soon. Mrs. Hodgins, if you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to his room."

Angela looked back toward Brennan, silently asking her friend to go with her. Brennan stepped forward, getting the doctor's attention. "Doctor, perhaps I could accompany Mrs. Hodgins just long enough for her to see that Jack is doing well. I'll come right back out afterward." Angela gave her a look of gratitude.

The doctor considered the idea and agreed. He led the two women through the double doors that led to Jack's room. Brennan stayed long enough to assure Angela and herself that Jack was in good condition and would make a full recovery. She left a much relieved Angela to sit with Jack, while she went in search of Booth to find out what Charlie had told him.

Back in the waiting room, Booth was once again on the phone. Brennan sat and waited somewhat patiently for Booth to finish the call so that they could talk. While she waited, she studied her husband. Fatigue was etched on his face and his body. His shoulders were slumped, his head hung so low that his chin nearly touched his chest. The lines on his forehead seemed to have multiplied in just a few hours.

Finally, his call completed, he sat down next to his wife. He sighed as he rubbed his hands across his face. "You want to know what Charlie said, right?" Brennan nodded. She cupped a hand around the back of his neck and lightly massaged it. "Do you remember Jameson's history with the Bureau in New York? There was a piece of evidence left at the scene that connects this shooting to what he was involved with there."

* * *

_Booth and Brennan were enjoying a quiet evening at home. Christine had been tucked into bed. Parker was at Rebecca's for the week. There were no cases demanding Booth's attention. Booth sat at one end of the couch, with his feet propped on the coffee table. Brennan sat at the other end, with her feet in his lap. She read a book while he watched a replay of an old Flyers game. _

_Letting his mind wander while he watched, he remembered that he hadn't had a chance to tell her about that day's interviews. "Hey, Bones, I finished up the interviews with the agents today. One, in particular, really impressed me."_

_Brennan looked up from her book and waited for him to continue._

"_His name is Matt Jameson. He's in the New York office, but would like to transfer to DC." Booth started massaging her feet while he was talking._

_Brennan smiled at him. After spending the majority of the day on her feet, she appreciated his efforts. "What did you find so impressive about him?"_

"_Well, he's very intelligent. He attended Duke and has a degree in mathematics." He paused for effect. "And for the last four years, he has been working in the Organized Crime division. He helped to bring down a Russian crime family." His hands stopped moving across her feet as he waited for her reaction._

"_That is very impressive. Why does he want to be part of the program? That's a big change from what he is currently doing." She nudged his hand with her foot to remind him of what he had been doing._

"_He says he is ready for a new challenge. I believe that, but I also think he wants to get out of New York." Booth took a drag from his bottle of beer and placed it back on the end table. He went back to massaging her feet while he continued. "Jameson was undercover with the Russians for about eighteen months. Unlike Jamie Kenton, he remembered what he was there for and helped bring down a very powerful family. He's been laying low, stuck behind a desk for the last six months."_

_Ever perceptive, Brennan had already followed the logic. "So, this agent wants to leave the perceived danger of being in New York and transfer to DC. That makes sense. Do you think he would bring something useful to the program?"_

_Booth considered her question for a minute. "Yeah, I do. Like I said, he is very intelligent. And, he possesses knowledge and experience that we don't currently have at our disposal."_

"_So, Deputy Director Booth, it seems that you have selected the first agent to be admitted to the program. I believe this is cause for celebration, don't you?" She pulled her feet off of his lap, sat her book on the coffee table and gave him a knowing smile._

"_Well, Dr. Brennan, what did you have in mind?" He met her smile with a waggle of his eyebrows._

"_You're going to have to catch me to find out." In one fluid motion, she hopped up from the couch and and ran up the stairs, her laughter drifting back to him. _

_Recovering from his momentary shock, he followed behind her. "Here I come, baby!"_

* * *

Brennan's eyes were huge as she processed what her husband had said. "The shooter was after Jameson? And you think it's related to his time at the New York office? What was found at the crime scene that led you to this conclusion?"

Needing to comfort himself as much as his wife, Booth wrapped her hands in his own, the thumb of his right hand rubbing against her simple wedding band. "The tech found the calling card of a Russian hit man, Vasily Alexandrov. Alexandrov always leaves a pack of Sobranie Black Russian cigarettes behind. He worked almost exclusively for the Sitnikov family. That's the family that Matt helped bring down."

"The shooting was retaliation, wasn't it? Did you suspect something like this was possible? You knew about Jameson's history when you chose him for the program." She realized that she sounded almost accusatory. She didn't blame Booth for the shooting. She only wondered how much Jameson's past had been perceived as a threat.

"I knew his past could come back and bite us," he noticed the blank look in her eyes, "be a threat, but I didn't think it very likely. Anyone in power in the family is now in prison. Alexandrov went underground, but we had no reason to think he knew Matt's real identity." He eased his hands from Brennan's, stood up and started pacing the waiting room.

"Booth, this isn't your fault. You do know that, right?"

"Yeah, Bones," out came his lighter, which he started flicking open and closed, "it's not anyone's fault but the shooter. I'm just trying to figure out what our next move is. I wish someone would give us an update on Matt. I think I'm going to flash my badge around and see if I can get someone to talk."

"I'll call Cam and see if they have discovered anything useful from the evidence found at the scene. I'll call Parker and check on the kids, too." She rose from her seat to lightly kiss Booth on the cheek before he went in search of information on the wounded agent.

* * *

Angela willed her husband to wake up. She held his hand and kept a running monologue about anything she could think of in an effort to get him to open his eyes for more than a moment or two. The doctor had said it could be several hours before woke for any length of time. She was tired of being patient. For her sanity, she needed him awake now. He had roused long enough to realize that she was there with him. But, after saying her name, he had drifted back into his drug induced dreamland.

"Booth said you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He wouldn't tell me any more than that. I know he is trying to protect me, but I don't need that. I need to know why this happened. Booth thinks the shooter was after Jameson. We still don't know how Matt is doing. He was in really bad shape when you two were brought in."

She was so tired. It had been a long day. Had they really just had Thanksgiving dinner at Bren's house less than twenty-four hours ago? It seemed like weeks had passed in that short amount of time. She laid her head down on his bed, just to rest her eyes for a minute or two. She wanted to stay awake in case he woke up. Almost as soon as she finished the thought, she was sound asleep.

* * *

Before calling Cam, Brennan called Parker. He assured her that he had everything under control and they need not worry about them. He would call if they had any problems, otherwise he would wait to hear from her. After thanking him for everything he was doing, Brennan ended that call and immediately called Cam.

"Saroyan." Cam sounded almost frazzled answering the phone.

"Cam, it's Brennan. I thought maybe we could trade updates."

"Good idea. You first. How are Hodgins and Jameson?"

"Jack is out of surgery and in a room. Angela is with him now. He's doing really well, all things, considered." She waited to see if Cam had any other questions about Jack.

"That's very good news! Does the doctor think he will make a full recovery?"

"Yes, he does. It was a through and through that missed everything vital. He should be just fine." She had hoped that Booth would be back with an update on Jameson, but he hadn't returned. "Booth has gone to get an update on Agent Jameson. Hopefully, he will be back soon. If not, I'll have him call with you."

"That would be good, thank you. I'll pass on your info about Jack to everyone here. Speaking of Jack, not having him here might slow us down a little on the particulates. We're doing the best we can with the staff we have. Almost everyone has come in for this one. We all want to find the person responsible." Cam sounded determined. Brennan imagined her barking orders at everyone from the PhD's all the way down to the techs to get this one solved.

"Is there anything you want me to pass on to Booth?"

"Not yet. You already know about the cigarettes. We're still waiting on test results right now." Cam paused, hesitant to ask what she needed to ask. "We might need your help with the body from the scene. Wendell said he wanted you to take a look. He might just be being cautious, but you never know. Do you think you can come by the lab for a while?"

Brennan bit her lower lip, while she thought. "Cam, I told Angela I would stay with her. I have every confidence in Dr. Bray, but as soon as I am able, I'll come by the lab. I'm just not sure how soon it will be. I'm sorry, I just don't think I should leave Angela just yet."

"I understand. Angela needs you there. I think Wendell can do this, too. If he feels he needs another set of eyes, we can call in one of the other anthropologists. Keep me posted and ask Booth to call when he gets a chance. Tell Angela we're thinking of her and Hodgins." Cam hung up, already considering what she should do next in the investigation.

* * *

_Seven months earlier_

"_Hey, Matt. This is Deputy Director Booth." He sat at his desk, chair reclined and his feet propped up on his desk. _

"_Hello, Deputy Director. What can I do for you?" Nervousness crept into his voice as he wondered why the Deputy Director was calling._

"_Well, first, Matt, please call me Booth." He tossed the blue ball he was holding up into the air and caught it on its descent. "Second, the acceptance letters for the training program are going out tomorrow. I wanted to personally let you know that you're in." He continued the rhythm of tossing the ball and catching it as he talked._

"_Wow, thanks, Dep-, I mean, Booth. I really appreciate the opportunity." Jameson's face broke out in an ear-to-ear grin. _

_Toss. Catch. "I'll get the transfer paperwork started for you." Toss. Catch. "You'll have about a month until the program starts." Toss. Catch. "The rest of the details will be in the letter." Toss. Catch._

"_Thanks again, Booth. I consider this a great honor to be included in the first class of the program." Jameson's earlier nervousness and been exchanged for excitement. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you when I get to DC."_

"_Sounds good, Matt. Come check in with me when you get into town." Toss. Catch. "I'll be talking to you soon." Dropping his phone on the desk, he turned to shoot a basket on his mini-goal. "He shoots! He scores!"_

* * *

Brennan's relief at seeing Booth return to the waiting room was short-lived as she saw the grim look on his face. "What is Agent Jameson's status? Were you able to find out?"

He nodded as he answered. "Yeah, I did," he collapsed into the nearest chair. "It's not good. He's in critical condition. The bullet broke a rib, passed near his heart and lodged in another rib. In addition to the cracked rib, he has a collapsed lung and massive blood loss. His heart stopped during surgery." Booth looked up into his wife's face. "They won't give me odds on his recovery. The nurse would only say that the next seventy-two hours were critical."

"Is there anything that we can do for him? Do we need to bring in a different doctor?"

Once again, his wife was proving what a generous heart she had. "No, Bones, I think he is getting the best care possible. We just have to wait and see what happens." He pulled her to sit next to him, and rested his arm across her shoulders. "Tell me what Cam said."

"Actually, she asked if you could call and give her an update on Jameson." He nodded. "I also spoke with Parker. The children are fine. It sounded like they were having fun. I'll check in with him again later."

"I'll go call Cam. Maybe you should get Angela and yourself something to eat."

"I'll get something for Angela. But you and I are going to go eat together. You need to eat just as much as Ange and I do." She patted him on the thigh as she got up to go to the cafeteria for Angela.

Booth called Cam so that they could update each other. Then he went back to the hardest task of the day – waiting.

* * *

_A/N2 - Hopefully you weren't too disappointed group outing to the Checkerbox wasn't included in this chapter. Keep reading. We'll get to it soon._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I apologize for the longer wait for this update. My muse has been most uncooperative this week. I hope this chapter is worth the wait._

_Thanks to dgschneider, dharmamonkey, SnowyBones, mspteach and latetobones for their reviews and encouragement._

_Disclaimer – Hart Hanson still hasn't signed over ownership to me, so I guess I'm just borrowing Bones and its characters for the time being._

* * *

Angela looked up at the soft knock on the door. The door opened and her best friend walked into the room. "Hey, Bren, come on in! Look, Jack's awake now."

"I don't want to intrude on you two. I just brought you some lunch, Ange." Brennan gave the take-out container to Angela and walked to Jack's bedside. She reached out to take his left hand and give it a squeeze. "Jack, I am so pleased to see you looking so well."

"Thanks, Dr. B. How's Matt doing? Angie said he was in worse shape when we were brought in." Hodgins was propped up in bed, his right arm in a sling. "Have you heard anything else about his condition?"

"I wish I had better news. Matt is in critical condition. He had significant blood loss, a collapsed lung, and a broken rib." She pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down. "His survival odds greatly increase if he survives the next seventy-two hours. His family should be arriving soon. Booth has been in contact with his parents several times."

"Poor Matt. I've been worried because he didn't have any family here." Angela's tender (metaphorical) heart always amazed Brennan. Even with her husband injured, she was still worried about the wounded agent. "He isn't even seeing anyone, which is a shame. He's a hottie and so incredibly nice. I've been trying to fix him up with someone since our outing to the CheckerBox, but he always says no." She was disappointed that he had rejected her matchmaking efforts. "Hey, Bren, have you checked in on the kids?"

"I spoke with Parker a short time ago. He said the children were having fun. He is always so good with them." Brennan felt blessed to have such a wonderful step-son. "I just wanted to check in with the two of you. Do you need anything? Is there anything you need me to do before Booth and I go get some lunch?"

"No, Sweetie, we're good. Thank you for everything you've done for us." Angela met Brennan at the foot of Jack's bed and wrapped her in a hug. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, Ange. Take care of Jack. Don't worry about Michael and Cara. They can stay with us for as long as needed. I'll be back to check in on you later." Walking toward the door, she added, "Call me if you need anything."

* * *

_Four months earlier_

_Booth and Brennan left the CheckerBox stage after performing "Hot Blooded," complete with air guitar and high kicks. Brennan thought that if they were supposed to be bonding over mutual embarrassment, then having Booth lead off the night was a good way to start. She might love nearly everything about the man, but that didn't include his singing voice._

"_Okay, who's next? We broke the ice, now it's someone else's turn." Booth looked around, waiting for someone to volunteer. "If one of you doesn't speak up, I'm going to start picking people to go up there."_

"_Hang on, G-man. Angie and I will go next. Let's show these guys that not everyone sings as badly as Booth does." Hodgins pulled Angela to the stage as quickly as he could, before Booth could retaliate for the comment._

_Angela towered over Jack on the stage. She had opted for five inch stilettos, a rare fashion choice for her. As soon as their music started, the reason behind the choice became apparent to some members of the group, but not Brennan._

_Angela: They say we're young and we don't know _

_We won't find out until we grow_

_Jack: Well I don't know if all that's true _

_You got me and I got you, Babe_

_Both: I got you, Babe / I got you, Babe_

_Loud cheers roared from their group of tables. Angela towered over Jack as she swung her long, straightened black hair back and forth, trying her best to look like Cher. _

_Booth saw the confused look on his wife's face. He wasn't sure if she didn't recognize the song (likely) or who Jack and Angela were trying to be (very likely). He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "They're supposed to be Sonny and Cher. Google it." With a kiss behind her ear, he leaned back and watched his friends make fools of themselves (in his opinion). When they finished, he pulled his lighter out and waved it high in the air._

_Jack and Angela whispered to each other as they left the stage. They returned to the table, looked at Eric Zhang, pointed at him, and in unison and said, "You're next!" They each grabbed an arm and pushed him toward the stage while everyone else laughed._

_Booth heard the first notes of Foo Fighters "My Hero" and heard another opportunity for his air guitar skills. He jogged up to the stage and "joined" Eric in the song. Jack made his way back to the stage in time to dazzle everyone with his air drum skills on the chorus._

_There goes my hero _

_Watch him as he goes_

_There goes my hero _

_He's ordinary_

_The three guys rocked out with air guitar and drums and a lot of head banging. When they finished, the Jeffersonian – FBI crew all gave them a standing ovation._

* * *

When Brennan returned to the waiting room, Booth was speaking with an older couple. As she walked up, he introduced them to her as Jameson's parents. She chatted with them while Booth went to let the nurse know that Jameson's parents had arrived and would like an update on his condition.

"Okay, Bones, you took care of Angela. I've passed Matt's parents over to the nurse. Now, it's time to take care of you and Baby Booth here." He rubbed her baby bump. "You've been up all night. You haven't eaten anything today. It's time to get some food in you and home for a nap."

"You are correct. I am tired and hungry." She leaned against her husband, resting her head on her shoulder. "Take me home, Booth."

"You got it, baby. Let's go." Taking her hand, he led her through the hospital and out to his SUV.

* * *

"Hey, Bones, wake up." Brushing a stray hair from her cheek, he replaced it with a light kiss. "We're home, baby. C'mon, let's go in." He got out of the SUV and walked around to open her door. "Wakey, wakey, Bones. Let's go. You can sleep after you get something to eat."

"I'm awake, Booth, just moving slowly." Taking his hand, she stepped out onto the driveway. Leaning heavily on him, she walked to the front door.

Just as they reached the door, someone inside threw it open. "Hey, Dad, Bones. How's Jack and Agent Jameson doing?" Parker spoke softly so that the younger kids wouldn't hear what he was saying. "The kids are eating lunch in the kitchen. They can't hear us."

Nodding, Booth answered, "Jack is doing really well. He'll probably be released in a day or two. Matt is still in bad shape. We just have to wait and see for now."

"Are you guys hungry? I can fix you some lunch." Parker smiled his Booth charm smile. He could see how exhausted his parents were, especially his step-mother. "Come on, you can talk to the kids while I get your lunch ready."

The three of them walked toward the kitchen where they were met with an ear piercing scream delivered by six-year-old Christine. "Mommy! Daddy! You're home! I've missed you!" She hopped down from her chair and launched herself at her father, who picked her up and hugged her tightly.

Brennan wrapped her arms around her two favorite people and kissed Christine's forehead. "Hi, sweetie. I missed you, too. Have you been behaving for Parker?" She watched her daughter's blond curls bounce as she nodded emphatically.

Booth sat Christine back on her own feet and walked over to the table where he tousled Michael's hair and tickled Cara. "How about you two? Have you been good for Parker?" Michael started to speak, with his mouth full of food and thought better of it, choosing instead to nod. Two-year-old Cara just giggled as Booth kept tickling her.

Brennan sighed as she sat down, grateful to be home, with her children and off of her feet. "Thank you, Parker, for everything. You've been a tremendous help to us." Taking a bite of the salad he had placed in front of her, she smiled. "This is delicious! Thanks again, Parker." She kept eating while Booth dug into the huge sandwich that Parker had made for him. The adults ate in silence as the children continued to chatter around them.

Once they had finished, Booth announced nap time for Brennan, before leading her up to their bedroom. He could read his wife's exhaustion in the lines on her face. He helped her undress and then into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. He tucked her into bed with a kiss. As he made his way to the door, he heard his name.

"Booth, stay with me for a while? Just until I fall asleep, please." She sounded so small in that moment, he couldn't possibly say no. He shucked off his jeans and shirt and threw on a pair of sweats before climbing into bed with her. He slid in behind her, molding his body to hers and placed his hand on her tummy. The last thing he heard before drifting off was her sigh of contentment.

* * *

_Booth looked around the table at everyone having a good time when it hit him. For the first time in many, many years, he wasn't surrounded by only squints. After working with and being friends with the squint squad for so long, he was used to being the lone "normal" guy in the group. The numbers were still skewed way toward squint, but at least there were a few more "normal" people around._

"_Hey, Bones, I just realized I'm not the only FBI guy here. I could get used to this." He looked at her when she didn't respond and realized she was lost in thought. Taking her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and gave it a tender kiss. "Bones, everything okay over there?"_

_Brennan realized that he was staring intently at her and that he had been speaking to her. "I'm sorry, Booth. I was thinking. What did you say?"_

_He slid his chair closer to hers, so that he could hear her over the noise of the crowd. "That was obvious. What's on your mind? You looked pretty far away there." He was worried that she was having a delayed reaction to being back at the CheckerBox._

"_I was just thinking about the last time we were here."_

_He inwardly groaned. Just what he was afraid of. "Aw, Bones, please don't think about that. It was so long ago. Don't let it upset you tonight."_

"_That's just it, Booth, I'm not upset." She gave him the smile that always melted his heart. "I told Angela that I would be alright coming here, but I wasn't sure. I find that the change in décor and, more importantly, time have lessened the hold that the memories of that night have over me." She squeezed his hand. "I'm fine. Really."_

"_I'm glad, babe. I just want you to enjoy tonight." Booth looked toward the stage and saw that Wendell had taken the mic while he was talking to Brennan. After listening for a moment, he recognized the song – Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive."_

_I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back_

_I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back_

_I've been everywhere and I'm standing tall_

_I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all_

_Wendell had no more finished his song when Olivia Sparling and her squint partner, Abigail Cronin took the stage. Booth took another glance around the table while they picked their song. He noticed that Angela had taken the seat next to Jameson. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he recognized Angela's matchmaking face when he saw it. He was sure that she was pumping the agent for all kinds of personal information. She was probably already picking his next date for him. Poor guy._

* * *

Booth woke up about an hour later, feeling slightly more human after the nap. Easing himself out of the bed so that Brennan wouldn't wake, he grabbed a t-shirt and his phone and headed downstairs to make some phone calls. He hoped that Cam and Charlie could give him some good news about the case.

"Charlie, it's Booth." He was pacing his front porch while he talked. He didn't want the kids to overhear his conversation. "Any news for me? Please tell me you found the bastard that did this."

"Well, we confirmed it's the same type of rifle that Alexandrov uses, a Dragunov." Charlie paused to look through the file on his desk. "No ballistic matches yet, but we've expanded the search."

Even though Charlie couldn't see it, Booth nodded. "Check with the New York office. We're going to need their help on this. There was a Sitnikov family member that Matt turned. I don't remember his name. See if they can track him down and get anything from him."

Charlie hesitated. Booth was not going to like what he had to say next. "Already checked that out. He's dead, hung himself two weeks after going to jail, while he was still awaiting trial. The coroner ruled it a suicide, but the general consensus was that it was coerced. The family made him do it, you know, for turning on them."

"Damn! Talk to the New York office anyway. See if they have any other contacts within the family." Booth ran his hand through his hair and sit on the top step. "Do have any leads on where Alexandrov might be?"

"Sorry, Booth, no yet." Charlie started tapping on his keyboard. "There's no record of Alexandrov coming into or leaving the country. We've checked all of his known aliases as well. We're checking with Interpol now to see if he's been on their radar lately."

"Okay, Charlie. Keep doing what you're doing. Let me know if anything comes up. I'm going to be splitting my time between home and the hospital for the rest of the day. I'll be in the office first thing in the morning." Booth paused, making sure he had covered everything necessary. "Keep up the good work, Charlie. Thanks."

* * *

_The evening had gone really well. Everyone seemed to have fun, even if they were a little embarrassed. There were only two left to sing and they seemed to be waging a war to see who could be the most stubborn. Fisher kept shaking his head at Jameson, who sat back with his arms crossed, staring Fisher down. Someone needs to step in to end the standoff and Hodgins decided that he would be the one. _

"_Alright, guys, one of you needs to get your butt on the stage and get it over with. Whoever comes the closest to guessing how many drinks I've had tonight goes last, loser goes first. So, what are your guesses, guys?"_

_Jameson looked at Hodgins, thinking. "I'll say three." He wished he had been paying more attention, because he really didn't have a clue._

_Fisher drew himself up, almost as if he was trying to look superior to the agent. "I've been observing everyone tonight and I know that Dr. Hodgins hasn't had any alcohol tonight." He smiled at Jack and waited for his confirmation._

"_Sorry, Fisher, you're wrong. I've had two beers. So, you're up next and Matt will be going last." He gave Fisher a pat on the back and a push toward the stage. "Hey, man," he yelled at Fisher's back, "you better make this good."_

_Fisher picked his song and took his place at the mic. And in a way that only Fisher could, he started singing. Some of the group figured out what song it was immediately._

_But I'm a creep_

_I'm a weirdo_

_What the hell am I doing here?_

_I don't belong here_

_Booth started laughing when he realized what it was. "He couldn't have picked a more appropriate song! Fisher is a creep and a weirdo." Booth loved the song choice so much that he whistled as loudly as he could. He leaned over to Jameson and gave him a wink. "Hey, man, I hope you can top that."_

_Jameson rolled his eyes at Booth and headed for the stage. There was a reason he didn't go to karaoke bars and everyone was going to find out why. He knew what song he was going to sing. The same one he always sang when forced. He knew the only thing he could do was get it over with._

_Well, I'm shameless when it comes to loving you_

_I'll do anything you want me to_

_I'll do anything at all_

_Angela squealed, while everyone else sat in a state of shock. Looks passed among the group as the song continued._

_And I'm standing here for all the world to see_

_Oh baby, that's what's left of me_

_Don't have very far to fall_

_Brennan was the first to break the spell. "He's good. He's very good. Why wouldn't he want to sing?"_

"_I don't know, Bones. If I had a voice like that, I would make sure that everyone knew it."_

"_Yeah, G-man, instead we all know how horrible your voice is." Jack laughed, hoping that his friend knew he was just kidding._

_The group grew quiet again as the listened as Jameson neared the end of the song._

_Oh I'm shameless, shameless as a man can be_

_You make a total fool of me_

_I just wanted you to know_

_Booth was the first to meet Matt as he came off the stage. "Man, why didn't you want to sing?" He shook his head in disbelief. "That's quite a voice you have there."_

"_This is why, Booth. People make such a big deal about it. It's just singing, not a big deal, something I do for my own enjoyment, not anyone else's." He gave Booth a pleading look. "Can we just drop it?"_

"_Yeah, sure. But, the next time we have a karaoke night, you are going first." He slapped Jameson on the back and walked back to his wife. "Well, Bones, I think tonight was a success. What do you think?"_

"_I agree, Booth. Everyone seemed to have an enjoyable time. I think we should do this again."_

"_Great idea, Babe. I think we should. Are you ready to go home? You look tired. Let's tell everyone good-bye and get out of here."_

* * *

"Hey, Cam, you got anything for me?" Booth had moved to the driveway and was pacing there.

"Not yet, Booth." Cam sounded as frustrated as Booth felt. "We pulled a few prints off the cigarette pack, but haven't matched them. I don't think they're from our guy. He didn't leave any other prints at the scene. I don't think he would be sloppy enough to leave prints on the pack. There were no casings on scene. He didn't leave us much."

"Great. But, we have the rounds from Hodgins and Jameson, right?"

"Yeah, but they haven't been much help." Cam sighed. "Booth, we're doing everything we can. I hate to ask, but do you think Brennan could come in and look at the body? Maybe Wendell has missed something there."

"I'm sure she will be there later, Cam. She's napping right now. She didn't get any sleep last night. I need to let her sleep awhile. She and the baby both need it." He looked at his watch and made a few mental calculations. "She'll probably be up in an hour or two. I'll bring her in sometime after that, okay?"

"Thanks, Booth. I really think we need her help if we are going to catch this SOB."

"Me too, Cam. We'll see you in a while." He ended the call and went back into the house. After checking on the kids, he went back to his bedroom and crawled back into bed with his beautiful, pregnant wife.

* * *

_A/N2: Not all of the songs made it into this chapter, but I did have a song in mind for each member of the group. So, I thought I'd include it here:_

_Booth & Brennan – Hot Blooded by Foreigner_

_Angela & Hodgins – I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher_

_Eric Zhang – My Hero by Foo Fighters_

_Wendell – Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi_

_Olivia Sparling & Abigail Cronin – Shoop by Salt 'n Pepa_

_Seth Larkin – Love Shack by The B-52s_

_Courtney Nelson – Talk Dirty to Me by Poison_

_Kimberly Matthews – Something to Talk About by Bonnie Raitt_

_Fisher – Creep by Radiohead_

_Matt Jameson – Shameless by Garth Brooks_

_Now, I've shared with you. Time for you to share with me. Please leave a review and feed my very hungry muse._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N – I neglected to give a couple of shout-outs in the last chapter. Wendish and dgschneider each contributed a song choice (My Hero and Creep) for the Checkerbox scenes. If you haven't read Wendish's "You and I Collide" or dgschneider's "Need," what are you waiting for? They are excellent!_

* * *

"Baby, are you sure you're up to this? You only got a few hours of sleep. You still look very tired." Booth's concern about his wife's well-being was evident. He didn't want her to push herself too hard. It had been a rough twenty-four hours for all of them. Had it really only been twenty-four hours since he had received the call from Cam? Actually, it had been less, it just felt like so much longer.

"Booth, I'm fine. I ate. I slept. I feel reenergized." She reached across the console and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine. We're both fine. Cam said that Wendell might need my help. I need to do this. It's going to take all of us to find Alexandrov."

"Yeah, I know you're right. I just worry. I'm giving you four hours and then I'll be back to take you home. Okay?" His warm chocolate eyes pleaded with her to do this his way.

"That is acceptable. Will you be going to the Hoover while I'm looking at the remains?"

"No, I think I'm going to go to the hospital to check on Jack and Matt. Charlie might be there, too, so I can get another update from him." He leaned over to kiss her before she got out of the SUV. "Call me if you get done early."

"I will. Let me know how Jack and Agent Jameson are doing." She climbed out of the SUV and walked toward the entrance of the lab.

Cam met her at the door. "Dr. Brennan, I'm so happy to see you. Wendell wanted to update you on his findings. He's on the platform with the remains, waiting for you."

"I'll consult with him in just a few minutes. I just want to stop by my office first." She walked away before Cam could respond and headed for her office to deposit her bag and retrieve her lab coat before going to the platform.

* * *

_Two months earlier_

_Matt Jameson drove his FBI issued SUV to the crime scene at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. A ranger who had been giving a tour to a group of school children found a body in one of the ponds. This was the first case that Jameson and his partner, Dr. Fisher, had responded to since the assignments had been made and they were still in the early stages of building their partnership. _

_Jameson glanced at his partner, trying to get a read on him. They had spent time together throughout the training process, but Jameson didn't feel like he knew anything about the gloomy anthropologist. "So, Fisher, tell me something about yourself."_

_Fisher thought for a moment before answering. "Well, when I'm not enjoying the accommodations at the loony bin, I live in my mom's basement."_

_Jameson's mouth dropped open, but he quickly closed it. Is he serious? The loony bin? He had heard some rumors about Fisher, but hadn't believed any of them. Maybe it was time to reexamine what he had heard. "Huh? The loony bin? Um, is that a common occurrence for you?" Am I going to be losing my partner every few months? _

"_Let's just say it's not as common for me as it used to be. Once I accepted that I am actually good at my job and realized that I have a purpose, I was able to keep myself on a more even keel." Fisher smiled at him. "That's how I became the well-balanced man that you see before you."_

_Jameson still wasn't sure whether or not to take Fisher seriously. If this was him on an even keel and well-balanced, then maybe it's a good thing that he had missed the days of Fisher's "hopeless vapors" as he had heard Caroline Julian refer to his partner's moods. He was going to have to put out some extra effort to forge a relationship with his new partner. _

"_Why don't you tell me something about you, Agent Jameson? Are you dating anyone? Or are you married?"_

_Matt chuckled, "No, I'm not married. I'm not currently seeing anyone either." He knew he hadn't really given Fisher any information about himself, so he kept going. "I'm from North Carolina, graduated from Duke. My last assignment for the Bureau was in New York." That's as much as he could say about that, so he quickly moved on. "I came to DC for this program. What about you?"_

"_I was one of Dr. Brennan's interns while I was a doctoral student. I've been able to stay at the Jeffersonian since I received my doctorate."_

_Their conversation hit a dead end with so little common ground between them. Jameson breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at the crime scene. A second later, his sigh was echoed by his new partner._

* * *

"Hey, Ange, Jack! How are we doing here?" Booth walked into the hospital room and saw that Jack was already looking much more like himself. "You look like you might get sprung from this place soon."

"If I don't have any setbacks, I should be out of here tomorrow." Jack look relieved as he said that. "I know I was lucky. How's Matt doing? We haven't had any word in several hours."

"I just talked to his dad. There's no change. The doctor says that is good news at this point." Booth pulled a chair up to Jack's bedside and gave Angela a quick hug before he sat down. "So, Ange, how are you?"

"I'm doing much better now that I know Jack is going to be okay." She gave her husband a grateful smile, because we was going to be alright. "How are the kids? I feel bad that I haven't talked to them today."

"They are fine, Ange. Parker has kept them entertained, fed and safe. You know he adores Michael and Cara as much as he does Christine."

"I know. I don't know how I will thank him for taking care of them through this." She wiped a lone tear that had escaped. She was so tired and every little thing was making her weepy.

"Look, Ange, I have an idea. Do you remember where Bones left the car last night? It's still there. Here are the keys. Take it and go to our house. You can see the kids, maybe even catch a nap. I'll stay with Jack. I'm not picking Bones up from the lab for a few more hours anyway." Looking more closely at her, he added, "If you're too tired to drive, I can have one of my guys drive you. What do you say?"

"Are you sure you don't mind staying with Jack?" He nodded. "Then, yes, I will take Bren's car and head over to see the kids and get a nap." She took the keys from him and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Booth. You, Bren and Parker have done so much for us over the last day. It means everything to us."

"Angela, you guys are family. We would do anything for you."

"Jack, I'll be back in a few hours. Will you be okay here with Booth?" She gave him a kiss, while of waiting for his answer.

"Yeah, Angie, we'll be fine. Tell the kids I love them and give them a hug from me." Jack watched as she left the room and then turned to look at Booth. "Thanks, man, she really needed a break."

"No problem, Bug-boy. Now, where do you have the pudding hidden?"

* * *

"Dr. Bray, Dr. Saroyan has informed me that you wish to update me on your findings." She snapped on her gloves as she walked toward the metal table on the forensic platform so that she could examine the remains.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan, but Dr. Saroyan should be here, too. Her discovery may lead to the victim's identity." Wendell waited to see if Brennan wanted to hear from Cam first or if he should begin with his findings.

"Please, Dr. Bray, show me what you have found. I will consult with Dr. Saroyan after I finish here." She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to begin.

"The victim is a male Caucasian, approximately thirty to forty years of age. I've noted those findings in the binder."

Brennan looked at the binder and nodded her agreement, waiting for Wendell to continue.

"Dental records were inconclusive. Most of the victim's teeth had been capped. We are still working on the facial reconstruction, hoping to match it in one of the databases." He moved to the table to make his next point.

"I found five remodeled fractures, the oldest is approximately ten years old, the newest, less than two years. I've noted them on the x-rays." He pulled the x-rays up on the monitor for Brennan to examine herself. He also highlighted each one with the Mideo cam. "Here on the right tibia and fibula, another one on the right clavicle, and lastly, the third and fourth left ribs." He waited again as Brennan examined each of the remodeled fractures. "Obviously, none of these were the cause of death."

"Correct, Dr. Bray. Have you found the cause of death?"

At times like this, Wendell still felt like he was one of Brennan's students, rather than a peer. "Yes, Dr. Brennan, I have. There is an entry wound to the C4. It appears to be from a high velocity round. The victim would have died instantly when the spinal column was severed."

"Yes, I believe you are correct, Dr. Bray. I will examine the remains to verify your findings. First, I'll go speak with Dr. Saroyan about her discovery." Brennan pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the trashcan as she walked off of the platform toward the autopsy suite.

* * *

_One month earlier_

"_No way, Fisher! You have to be lying! There is no way your 'number' is over one hundred! Where do you meet all of these women?" Matt was still trying to figure out how they had even gotten onto the subject of Fisher's sexual conquests. They were on their way to yet another crime scene and __**this**__ is what they are talking about. How did this conversation get so out of his control?_

"_It's the truth, man. Have I told you about how I missed the opening of Avatar because I was hooking up with a girl I met while waiting in line?" Fisher smiled like it was something to be proud of._

_Jameson cringed at the thought of it. "No, and I do NOT want to hear it." _

"_Or, did I tell you about the girl that I made 'very happy' so that I could get backstage at the Ben Folds concert?"_

_Matt groaned. "Yes, you did and I don't need to hear that story again. The only thing I liked about that one was Ben Folds. He's from my hometown and I like his music. Now, can we please just change the subject?" Matt put all of his energy into thinking of a new topic for discussion. Before he could redirect the conversation, Fisher spoke up._

"_I bet you have some really good stories, especially from your undercover days?" _

_Jameson glared at Fisher, not liking the direction that he was going in. "I told you, I can't talk about my undercover work. I won't talk about it." He spoke so emphatically that Fisher looked away from the anger that flashed in Jameson's eyes for a brief second._

_Fisher knew that Jameson liked to keep his private life private, but that didn't keep him from trying to set the agent up on a date. "So, have you decided to take me up on my offer yet? You've been in DC almost six months and you haven't gone out with anyone." Fisher acted as if it were a crime. "Are you ready for me to fix you up with someone?"_

"_Nah, I don't think so. I'll let you know if I change my mind." Matt didn't know how much longer he could put Fisher off, but he was going to keep trying. He hadn't told Fisher about his ex, Maggie, and he didn't plan to. It hurt too much to think about her, much less talk about her._

"_Alright, you don't know what you're missing out on." Fisher shook his head at Jameson. "I know the perfect girl for you when you change your mind. You'll let me know when you're ready, right?"_

_Jameson had never been so relieved to hear the words "You have reached your destination."_

* * *

"Cam, Wendell said that you had found something that might help with identification."

"Yes, but let me start from the beginning." Cam motioned for Brennan to sit in one of the chairs across from her desk. "We were unable to make an identification based on dentals. We tried with fingerprints, but the victim's prints had been removed with acid." She brought up photos of the victim's fingers on her monitor. "I've also run DNA, but haven't gotten a match yet." Cam was very frustrated. They had had many cases where identifying the victim was difficult and took time. But, this could lead to the person who shot Hodgins and Jameson. She didn't want it to take time. She wanted the results now.

"So, other than DNA, how are you trying to identify him?" Brennan was still waiting to hear what Cam's discovery was.

"I was looking over the body a final time, before Wendell began de-fleshing. I found this." She pulled another photo up on her monitor. "Due to decomposition, it wasn't immediately obvious. However, on further examination, I found this tattoo located on the victim's chest. It appears to be a Madonna and child in the style of a Russian icon."

Brennan was looking closely at the monitor, examining the tattoo. "How do you think this will help us?"

"I sent this picture to Charlie. He's going to check with the gang and organized crime units. It just feels like too much of a coincidence to me." She started ticking off points on her fingers. "Our suspect is a Russian hit man, who worked for a Russian mafia family. This victim was found on the grounds of a Russian Orthodox church and has a tattoo that seems to be Russian in origin or at least Russian is appearance. I think it's worth checking out."

"I agree." Brennan nodded at Cam. "Booth feels this is all tied to Jameson's time undercover with the Sitnikov family. Perhaps our victim was someone crossed the family, just as Jameson did."

"I was just going to check in with Charlie, see if he has anything new for us. Would you like to stay and see what he has to say?"

"Of course, maybe he has found some useful information." Brennan sat back and relaxed while Cam dialed Charlie's number.

"Hello, Burns speaking."

"Charlie, it's Dr. Saroyan. I have you on speaker. Dr. Brennan is with me. Do you have anything new, maybe an ID on our victim?"

"Dr. Saroyan, I wish I had better news, but no, I don't have an ID yet. I checked with the gang and organized crime units. The gang unit wasn't helpful at all. The agent I talked to in organized crime reacted very strangely when I showed him the picture of the tattoo."

"Charlie, this is Dr. Brennan. How did he act strangely?"

"He said he didn't recognize the tattoo, but it seemed like he did. It really felt like he was hiding something." Charlie waited for Brennan to berate him for basing his opinion on a feeling. He had heard her to it do Booth many times over the years of their partnership. He was going to be disappointed.

"I accept your opinion." She ignored the look of pure shock that Cam gave her and chose to continue. "What you call a feeling, I accept as your observation of subtle physiological cues. I have seen Booth do this time and time again. It is only logical that after working with Booth for so many years, you would have picked up on those cues as well."

"Well, thank you, Dr. Brennan. Because of his strange behavior, I checked with a few other agents in the unit, off the record, to see if I could get anything more concrete. One agent said that I was wasting my time talking to him. He said I should be talking to WitSec."

Cam and Brennan looked at each other with matching looks of surprise, closely followed by understanding. Cam spoke first. "That would explain some of the road blocks we have hit trying to identify the victim. If he is in Witness Protection, we aren't going to find anything on him."

Charlie continued where he had left off. "I've contacted WitSec. They are being, um, difficult. I was told they would check their files and get back to me if any of their witnesses had a tattoo that matched the one on our victim. I'm still waiting."

"If our victim was in witness protection, then it is possible that he testified against the family. It is very likely that the suspect in Hodgins and Jameson's shooting killed this man as well." Brennan's brain had sorted through the available information and had come to what she thought was the only rational conclusion. "I'll call Booth. Thank you, Charlie." She abruptly left Cam's office to make her phone call in private.

"Well, Charlie, I guess that's it for now. I'll call you if we find anything else."

"I'll do the same, Dr. Saroyan."

* * *

_Twenty-four hours ago_

_Jameson was in a foul mood after getting called out on Thanksgiving night. He really didn't have any plans. He was just looking forward to a quiet evening at home after having spent the day with the team. He picked Fisher up at the Jeffersonian before going to the crime scene at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist._

"_So, are you going to ask her out?" Fisher had a sly look on his face, like he knew something he wasn't supposed to know._

"_Who are you talking about?" Jameson decided that playing dumb was his only option in this situation._

"_I saw you talking to Abby after Thanksgiving dinner. The two of you were off by yourselves and looked very cozy." _

_Jameson rolled his eyes. Crap! Doesn't this guy miss anything? "We were just talking. You know, just friends talking. Doesn't that ever happen with you? Talking? Or do you just jump straight into bed with every woman you meet?" _

_Fisher laughed. They had reached a point where they could tease each other without causing offense. "You're deflecting! You __**are**__ interested in her, aren't you? You should ask her out, or have you forgotten how to do that?" _

_Jameson wasn't sure if he was ready to move on, wasn't sure if he was over Maggie. But, he did like spending time with Abby. Maybe it was time to risk it. "I'll think about it, okay? Now, can we take the focus off of me and put it where it belongs? On the dead body we've been sent out to examine and retrieve?"_

_They rode in silence until they reached the crime scene. The Jeffersonian truck was already there, which meant that Cam and Hodgins were on scene. Fisher went in search of them while Jameson went to find the LEO who had control of the scene for the moment._

_There wasn't anything exceptional about the scene. Jameson learned that an officer had seen the body lying on the steps of the cathedral while on patrol. Upon examination, it appeared to be a body dump. No witnesses had been located. Cam and Hodgins agreed that the victim had been dead between four and six hours. With such a "fresh" body, there wasn't much for Fisher to do, so he sat off to the side and just observed the scene._

_Hodgins continued to examine the body, collecting particulates as he found them. Fisher thought he must have found something important, because he called Jameson over to look at the body. Jameson walked over to the body, getting close as Hodgins step back to give him a better view. In that instant, as they were almost trading places, Fisher heard a loud noise that he couldn't place. It sounded again. Was that a bang? A crack? A boom? Before he could determine the source of the sound, all hell broke loose._

* * *

_A/N2 - Thanks so much for the favs, follows and reviews! Wendish gets the Queen of the Lab title for the week for leaving me seven reviews in a twelve hour span. I'd love to hear your thoughts on where we are going with this story. Just leave a review in that little box below._


	9. Chapter 9

Booth paused in the door to his wife's office. She sat at her desk, concentrating on whatever was currently on her computer monitor. She was obviously engrossed, because she didn't hear him as he approached. He walked, stopping when he was directly behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders and a kiss on her head as he breathed in the scent that was pure Bones.

"Hey, babe, you ready to go home?" He could feel the tension in her shoulders, under his hands. "Everything okay?"

She leaned her head back into him and sighed. She was tired and ready to go home, but needed to tell Booth what she had found. "I've been researching the tattoo we found on the victim." She pulled a picture of the tattoo on her monitor since Booth hadn't yet seen it.

"You and Cam were right. It does look like a Russian icon. Have you found out anything about it?"

"In relationship to the Russian mafia, it seems to indicate someone who will stay loyal to the family and never betray them to authorities."

"Well, Bones, if our victim was in WitSec, then something changed between the time he got this tattoo and when he died, because he wouldn't have been under protection unless he was helping with the prosecution of the family." He leaned closer to the monitor to get a better look at the tattoo. "Has Charlie been able to confirm whether or not our victim was in WitSec?"

"Not as of the last time I talked to him. The federal marshal that he was in contact with was being very difficult. I think he was going to see if Caroline could get the information we need."

"C'mon, Bones, let's get you home. We'll be early enough to spend some time with the kids and give Parker a break, too." A huge grin broke out on Booth's face. "I'm really proud of him. He's stepped right in and helped just when we needed him most."

"That shouldn't surprise you, Booth. Parker has always been very compassionate. I wouldn't expect any less from him. He takes after you, after all." She gave her husband a peck on the cheek before shutting down her computer in preparation for going home. She stood, gathered her things and headed out her office door, leaving Booth jogging to catch up with her.

* * *

_Thanksgiving night_

_Fisher ducked for cover when the shots first rang out. There was a moment of complete silence between the second shot and the chaos that followed in its wake. Cam ran to her coworkers to assess their conditions. She quickly realized that Jack was not immediate danger, if they could get his bleeding under control._

"_Fisher! I need you to come apply pressure to Jack's wound." She yelled over the panicked voices at the scene. "Has anyone called for an ambulance yet? Jameson is in bad shape. We need to get him to a hospital. NOW!" _

_Fisher rushed to Jack's side, taking the scarf that Cam thrust at him and began applying pressure to the wound. He could do nothing for his partner but watch as Cam tried to stabilize him until the EMTs arrived. He listened as the FBI agents already present at the scene tried to get a handle on what had happened. In the distance, he could hear the sirens from the approaching ambulances. He leaned down to Jack, whispering, "Hang on, Hodgins. Help is almost here. Just another minute. I don't want to have to be the one to tell Angela what happened here, okay?"_

_He stepped back as the EMTs arrived and took over. Their assessment of Jack's injury agreed with Cam's. The bleeding had already slowed tremendously. They loaded him up on the gurney and into the ambulance and sped off with lights blazing and siren screaming._

_Fisher walked to stand by Cam, who had her arms wrapped around herself while she shivered. They watched as the EMTs struggled to get Jameson stable enough to be moved. Finally, with no choice, he was loaded onto the gurney and rushed to the hospital. _

_In the silence that remained after the ambulances departed, Cam and Fisher stood, still absorbing what had happened and what needed to happen next._

* * *

They had been home for a few hours. It was long enough to play with the kids before baths and bedtime. Michael and Cara seemed happier since they had spent time with their mother in the afternoon. They were also happy that they would be going home the next day. Parker had gone out with some friends, glad for the break. It had been decided that Brennan would stay with the children the following day. Once Angela had gotten Hodgins home, Brennan would take Michael and Cara there as well.

Once the children had been bathed and dressed in their pjs, they each picked a book to read. Booth read to them while Brennan relaxed in the glider in Christine's room. It felt so good to be doing so normal after everything that had happened over the last day.

Once the kids were tucked in, Brennan went to soak in the tub while Booth made phone calls to check the status of the investigation and to check on Jameson. The first call he made was to the hospital to check on his injured agent. He was relieved to hear that Jameson was showing some improvement. The doctors were still being cautious, but they were hopeful that he would make a full recovery.

His next call was to Charlie. Booth agreed with Brennan and Cam. There were too many Russian connections in this case for them all to be coincidence.

"Charlie, it's Booth. Any word from WitSec yet? Did you tell them they are hampering our investigation?" Booth made his way down to the man-cave where Brennan didn't mind if he bounced his stress ball off the wall. Everything about this case made him antsy and he knew that wouldn't change until they started getting some answers.

"Yeah, Booth, our vic was in WitSec. His name was Pavel Markov. Three guesses who he testified against and the first two don't count."

"The Sitnikovs. So, they really were after Matt." Booth ran his hand up and down his neck and then up his head in frustration. "Damn! They found out Matt's real identity and they came after him."

"Yeah, it looks that way. Sorry, Booth. This probably would have been easier to deal with if it weren't related to Jameson's past." Charlie knew Booth was probably feeling a little guilty. After all, it was Booth who had chosen Jameson for the potentially high profile team. "You know, we all thought the Sitnikovs were all either in jail or so far underground that they would never see the light of day again."

Booth sighed. "I know. I still think this is Alexandrov's work, but maybe he is working solo. We won't know until we catch up with him. I'd rather think he is acting on his own than getting orders from someone in the family. If they've managed to reorganize enough to have a chain of command and issue hits on their enemies, then we're all in trouble. It won't be easy to take them down a second time. Anything else, Charlie? Maybe some good news?"

"I wish I had some, Booth. No word on Alexandrov yet. He hasn't been spotted anywhere. We're hoping for the one break that puts us on his tail, but we haven't gotten it yet." Charlie started tapping the keys on his keyboard. "One thing we didn't know about Alexandrov before – he has a tattoo of a bull on his right forearm. That apparently indicated he is a hit man, like we didn't already know that."

Booth realized that Charlie sounded as frustrated as he felt. "I want you to call it a night. First thing in the morning, talk to your contacts in Organized Crime. They have to know more about him than they are telling us, even if it's just another alias. There has to be another angle to finding him. Tomorrow, I want you working on finding it." Booth flopped onto the black leather sectional that filled one corner of his man cave. "Hey Charlie – you're doing a great job. Keep up the good work." He ended the call and headed up to bed, turning off lights and locking the doors as he went.

Charlie stared at the silent phone in his hand with a huge grin on his face, thrilled with the praise he had just received from his boss.

* * *

_Cam only hesitated a few seconds before pulling out her phone and calling Booth._

"_Booth," he answered in his usual way._

"_Booth, it's Cam. There was a shooting at the crime scene." She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Hodgins and Jameson were both shot. They're on the way to the hospital now. You need to get there and hurry. Jameson is in bad shape."_

"_I'll be there in twenty minutes!" Booth hung up before Cam could respond._

_Turning to the anthropologist, she asked, "Fisher, who is next on the rotation? We need some help here." Cam waited, phone in hand, for him to answer._

"_It's supposed to be Zhang and Matthews, but Matthews is out of town. Next on the list is Cronin and Sparling." Fisher had only seen his boss this rattled a few times and only when it involved the "family." _

"_I'll call Sparling and she can call Cronin. We also need someone out here to take over for Hodgins." Cam really just wanted to go to the hospital and check on her people, but she was a professional. She would finish the job at hand before breaking every speed limit between the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and George Washington University Hospital._

_Fisher laid a hand of Cam's arm. "Dr. Saroyan, Dr. Cronin and I can handle collecting the particulates and insects, if that's alright with you. I've observed Dr. Hodgins many, many times during my time at the Jeffersonian. And Dr. Cronin has a minor in entomology." He paused a moment to compose himself. "I want to do whatever I can to help Dr. Hodgins and Jameson. This is my partner we're talking about."_

"_If you think the two of you can handle this, then that's all I need to hear. I'll make a few phone calls then I'll get back to the victim on the steps." She started to walk away to make her phone calls, but stopped and turned back toward Fisher. "I think Charlie Burns is on his way to take control of the scene. Check with him as to who will be collecting evidence when they find where the shooter was. He may want their techs to handle that."_

_She turned away once more, walking a distance away where it was a little quieter and dialed Agent Sparling. "Olivia, we need you and your partner at a crime scene. There's been an incident…"_

* * *

Booth was in bed, checking hockey scores on his phone, when Brennan walked out of the bathroom after her soak in the tub, wearing nothing but one of his Flyers t-shirts. Even pregnant, or maybe especially because she was pregnant, he loved when she wore his t-shirts. He loved the way his shirts hugged her curves, but it wouldn't be long before her expanding tummy no longer fit in his t-shirts. At that point in her first pregnancy, she had started wearing his hockey jerseys with no complaints from him.

He flung the covers back and patted her side of the bed. "C'mon, baby, time for you to relax." He waited for her to climb in bed, then covered her up and waited for her to get settled before sliding over to spoon with her. "I called the hospital. Matt is showing some improvement. The doctors are being cautiously optimistic about a full recovery."

She sighed as Booth snaked one arm under her pillow and his other rested across her waist and belly. "That's very good news. If he is already showing improvement this early in the seventy-two hour window, I understand why his doctors are being optimistic. Did Charlie have any news for you?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how much it helps us. The victim at the church was in WitSec. His name was Pavel Markov. He testified against the Sitnikovs." His nose was buried in her hair, so close to her ear that each breath that he exhaled tickled her. He laid a trail of kisses along her ear and when he spoke she almost felt it rather than hearing it. "If someone from within the family gave the order to kill Markov and Jameson, we have bigger problems than I originally thought." The trail of kisses moved from her head and down to her shoulder. He could feel her starting to relax into him.

"Hey, Bones?" His fingers drew soft circles on her belly, relaxing her even more.

"Hmm?"

He loved when she struggled to voice complete thoughts. It was mission accomplished for him. "Have you scheduled the sonogram yet? We're going to find out if Baby Booth here is a boy or a girl, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Babe, when's the sonogram?"

The baby picked that moment to kick, disrupting Booth's circles and nudging its mother a little closer to wakefulness. "It's next Wednesday, provided that the case doesn't force me to reschedule it." Question answered, she let loose of her last thread of consciousness and slept.

"G'night, Bones." Booth surrendered to his exhaustion and slept also.

* * *

_Cam sat on the steps in front of the church and rested her head in her hands. They had prepared the body for transport to the lab. Fisher and Cronin had done an excellent job collecting anything that they thought would be useful in the investigation. They didn't want to risk leaving any evidence behind. Cam thought that Hodgins would be proud of them when he heard how they had done._

_Charlie had decided to have his guys collect the evidence from the sniper's nest, for that is what it was. A sniper had stood on a roof across the street and over a few buildings and waited for her team to show up. Then he started shooting. At her people. She was angry. Even more than that, her cop spidey-sense (as Booth called it) told her that this was a set-up, her people had been targeted and she wanted to know why._

_She wanted to go to the hospital, needed to, but she still had a job to do. She would return to the lab, with the body and the evidence collected by Fisher and Cronin, as well as the FBI techs. Only after every piece of it had been logged in and put away would she allow herself to put aside her job and just be a friend. Only then would she give herself a moment to fall apart before she pulled herself together enough to drive to the hospital and check on her friends._

_Job done. The evidence and the body were at the Jeffersonian and Cam was on her way to George Washington University Hospital. She had allowed herself ten minutes to fall apart as she sat in her car. Then she wiped her tears, started her car and carried on with the next task on her list. _

_She had already talked to Booth and given him her take on the scene. He didn't disagree with her. She also felt that he knew something about the situation that he wasn't yet sharing. Once she assured herself that Hodgins and Jameson would be alright, she would corner Booth and get him to tell her the rest of the story. For now, she was focused on getting to the hospital and dreading what she might find there._

* * *

_A/N - Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I love hearing from each of you. You might also be interest in a new fic that I've started, "Captive," set during season 3 of Bones. Little Miss Muse didn't think I was spinning enough plates at the moment and decided to add "Captive" to the mix. I hope you will enjoy it as well. ~ craftyjhawk_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N - No, I haven't disappeared. No, I have't forgotten this story. Little Miss Muse decided that I needed to be working on other things. But, I'm back and I apologize for the delay in updating. __Hopefully, this extra long chapter will make up for the delay. _I hope to get back to a more regular update schedule with this story and with "Captive" as well.

_Disclaimer - I don't own Bones or its characters, which still makes me very sad. _

* * *

Booth awoke the following morning to find his wife still sleeping soundly. He eased himself out of bed, hoping not to disturb Brennan. Removing his phone from the charger, he let himself out the bedroom door, closing it quietly behind him. He checked to see if Christine, Michael and Cara were still asleep, and headed down to the kitchen to make a few phone calls and start breakfast.

Although he and Brennan rarely worked on Saturday, now that they were no longer actively working in the field, he knew he would be making an appearance at the office that day. Brennan would take Michael and Cara home after Angela got Hodgins home. Booth knew that if that happened early enough in the day that Brennan would probably go into the lab to check the progress of the investigation there. He decided to call and have Max on stand-by just in case she did. Parker deserved to have a weekend free of sister-sitting duty.

Multi-tasking between his phone and the waffle iron, Booth checked in with Charlie for a case update (no new developments overnight) and made breakfast for everyone. Before long, the scent of chocolate chip waffles must have drifted up the stairs, because he heard three sets of feet charging down the stairs toward the kitchen. He winced at the sound of the thundering herd, listening for signs that they had woken up his wife. Hearing only silence coming from the upper floor, he let out the breath he had been holding.

Once the kids were settled at the table with waffles, bowls of fruit and glasses of milk, Booth stepped into the living room to call the hospital and check on Jameson. He was pleased to head that Jameson's condition had improved so much overnight that the doctor was considering decreasing his sedation. He hoped that he would be able to talk to Jameson sooner rather than later to get his take on the connection to the Sitnikov family.

The kids had finished breakfast and parked themselves in front of the TV, watching one of Christine's favorite animal shows. Booth smiled as he heard them laughing at a video of a dog playing on a trampoline, while he walked upstairs to check on Brennan. He slowly opened their bedroom door and found his wife propped up in bed, reading from her iPad. He chuckled at her slightly embarrassed look over being caught hiding in the bedroom.

"Good morning, Bones. Reading something interesting, there?" He closed the door behind him before he walked over and plopped on the bed next to her. Before she could answer or react he snatched the iPad from her hands and took a peek at what she was reading. "Bones! Is this a romance novel?"

Brennan instantly blushed because he had discovered her very private guilty pleasure. Reaching over, she took back her iPad and snapped the cover closed. She decided to ignore his question, knowing that he would tease her unmercifully about her chosen reading material. "Are the children up yet? Do I need to go prepare breakfast?"

"The kids are up and have been fed. Now, they are watching that animal show that Christine loves so much." He leaned over to kiss her tummy and give it a rub. "Did you sleep well? I was hoping that you would sleep in."

"Yes, I did. Thank you for taking care of the children. I needed the extra sleep. I think I'll get up and shower now so that I'll be ready to take Michael and Cara home when Angela calls."

"Sounds good, baby. I'll go back down with the kids while you get ready." He got up and walked toward the door. Turning back, he added, "And, Bones, don't think I'm going to forget about what you were reading." He winked at her as he left the room. Just as the door closed, he thought he heard the sound of something, maybe a pillow, hitting it. Laughing again, he headed to the living room to watch TV with the kids.

* * *

_Two years and nine months earlier_

_Matt Jameson took one final look in the mirror to make sure that nothing about his appearance screamed 'cop.' He had spent nearly six months laying the groundwork for his undercover operation. He was now Konstantin Popov, a banker working in New York City, the son of Russian immigrants. _

_This was the day he would be making his first contact with a member of the family – Margarita 'Maggie' Markov, the granddaughter of Anatoly Sitnikov, head of the Sitnikov family. The bank he "worked" at was near a coffee shop that Maggie patronized daily on her way to work at one of the family's car dealerships. She was the bookkeeper for all of the family's dealerships, thus responsible for preparing their daily bank deposits._

_Matt timed his arrival at the coffee shop for just after Maggie had purchased her daily caramel latte. Just as she turned to walk toward the exit, he walked right into her. _

"_Oh, wow, I am so sorry! I didn't see you there. Here, let me help you." Matt grabbed a handful of napkins and started patting her red wool coat, absorbing as much of the coffee spill as possible._

"_No, really, it's fine. You don't have to do that." Maggie took the napkins from Matt and took over trying to dry her coat while trying unsuccessfully not to snap at the handsome stranger. "I've. Got. It."_

"_Well, at least let me pay to have your coat dry cleaned. My name is Konstantin Popov. Here's my card. You can just send me the bill at my office. Once again, I'm really sorry about that." He left her and went to the counter to order his own coffee. Noticing that she had rejoined the line, he added a caramel latte to his order. He knew from his research that it was her usual morning purchase._

_He took the drinks from the barista and walked to where Maggie was standing in line. "Here, I got you another caramel latte." He handed her the latte, his fingers brushing hers as he did so. A jolt of electricity seemed to speed up his arm at the contact and he fought to control the accompanying shiver. Giving her a nod and a smile, he turned and walked out the door, hoping that he had piqued her interest in him. He knew he would be seeing her soon, as he had already planned their next "accidental" meeting._

* * *

It was shortly after noon when Booth arrived at the Hoover.

"Charlie, what ya got for me? Anything new?" Booth asked as he walked into Charlie's office and took a seat on the couch.

"Actually, yes. I just got off the phone with Markov's handler in the U.S. Marshal's office. They are going to let us speak with his sister, Margarita. It took a lot of convincing, but when I mentioned Alexandrov's possible connection, the marshal caved."

"Great job, Charlie!" Booth rubbed his hands together, anxious to do something constructive in the investigation. He had been sitting on the sidelines too long. "When can we see her? I'd like to look over her file before she gets here."

Charlie cringed and shook his head. "She'll be here in a few hours, but they aren't letting us at her file. I don't know, but they are being even more secretive than usual on this one."

"Interesting. I wonder what they are hiding." Booth considered the possibilities. "You know, Charlie, I'm going to be in on this interview, right?"

"Well, Booth, I assumed you would be leading it. Am I wrong?"

"Not at all, Charlie. Not at all."

* * *

_Jameson returned to his apartment after his workday at the bank. He had wanted to check in with his Bureau contact as soon as he had left Maggie that morning, but refused to deviate from his established routine. He had spent six months building this cover, right down to the tiniest detail. He wasn't going to blow it just because he was anxious to move forward with the plan._

_Making sure that the door was locked and all of the blinds were closed, he walked into his bedroom. He unlocked the wheels on the bed frame and pulled it away from the wall. Behind the headboard was a hidden panel, which, when opened, revealed a safe. Jameson entered the 8 digit code to open the safe, waited for the light to turn green and pulled the door open. Reaching in, he pulled out his official Bureau laptop. While it powered on, he changed from his gray three piece business suit into a ratty pair of gray sweats and an old Foo Fighters concert tee._

_He grabbed the laptop, passed through the kitchen as he made his way to the living room, grabbing a bottle of Fat Tire Pale Ale from the fridge and settled on the couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He took a slow pull from the bottle before setting it on the coffee table and getting to work. He'd been assured by the Bureau's tech geeks that there was layer upon layer of encryption on this laptop and he should feel safe using it to contact his handler. He would have to trust them, because technology was not his strong suit._

_He opened Outlook and fired off a quick email to his handler:_

'_Initial contact with subject made. Moving to next step of plan within 48 hours. Will advise after completion."_

_He checked his inbox, but found nothing that needed his immediate attention. Closing Outlook, he opened Maggie Markov's file to reread it before his next encounter with her. Twenty minutes later he realized that instead of reading, he had been staring at her picture. He had known before he met her that she was beautiful, but he hadn't expected to respond to her like he had. He would have to tamp down that feeling or it could become a problem later in the operation. His thought process was straying far, far away from its intended path, so he decided that he would go for a run to clear his head._

_After slipping on his running shoes, he grabbed his apartment key, cell phone and ear buds and slid them into his pocket. He closed the door behind him and jogged down the stairs from his fifth floor apartment to the ground floor and out onto the sidewalk. He set off at a brisk pace, hoping that a five mile run would be long enough to get his head back on the job at hand._

* * *

"Hey, Bones." He trapped his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he flipped through the lab's file on Markov's murder. "I'm going to be stuck at the Hoover for a while. I probably won't be home for dinner. The U.S. Marshals are bringing in Markov's sister for an interview." Time had both flown and dragged for Booth while he was waiting for Margarita Markov's arrival. He had debated going home to change into a suit, but decided that his casual look of jeans, fitted black t-shirt and black leather jacket was a better choice in this instance. He hoped a more casual atmosphere would help to put Margarita at ease while they talked.

"Markov has a sister? Did we know that?" Brennan walked from the Hodgins's living room to the kitchen to ensure they didn't hear any case details while she talked to Booth. "Christine and I are at Angela's, but will be returning home shortly. Angela called after she got Jack home and we brought Michael and Cara over. I want to talk to Angela and make sure she is doing alright."

"Yeah, Markov has a sister – Margarita. She was with him in WitSec. We have no idea why. The Marshals won't let us see her file. So, we're going into this interview blind and I really don't like it." He was very frustrated with the Marshal's less than one hundred percent cooperation. He supposed it could be worse, it could be zero cooperation from them. "Anyway, I don't know how long this will take. I'll try to be home before Christine goes to bed. Tell Jack and Angela 'hi' for me. Love you, Bones."

"I will. Love you, too, Booth. I will see you later." After ending the call, she returned to the glider in the living room.

"So, that was Booth?" Angela was trying to be subtle, but knew that Brennan could see right through her. "Did he have anything to say about the case?"

"Angela, you know I can't discuss the case with you. Jack is a victim. I can't. Please do not ask me again."

"I know, Bren, but I **need** to **know**. Isn't there **anything** you can tell me?" Angela knew that Brennan didn't usually respond to pleading, but it was worth a try. "What about the Markov case? Can you tell me anything about that?"

Brennan hesitated before succinctly answering. "No."

"Why not? Unless… unless you think it's connected to Jack's shooting. You do! You think they are connected, don't you? What aren't you telling me?"

"Angela, I can't answer that. I know, that in the heat of the moment at the hospital, Booth might have given you some information about the shooting. But, now that everything has settled down, in the interest of not tainting the investigation, I can't share the case details with you. I'm sorry, Angela."

"It's okay, Bren. I understand. I just hate not knowing what's going on. At least I know that you, Booth and the rest of the team will do everything possible to get the guy who did this."

"You are correct. Booth won't stop until we have the shooter and neither will I." Brennan smiled at her friend. "Now, how are you? Is there anything you need from me?"

Angela rose from her seat on the couch and went to Brennan, wrapping her in a bear hug. "I'm fine, really. I'm happy to have Jack home. And, you've already done so much by keeping Michael and Cara. I could focus on Jack instead of worrying about them. **That** was the best gift that you could have given me. Thank you for being the best friend I could ever have."

Brennan was touched and didn't know what to say in response. She returned Angela's hug and blamed her teary eyes on hormones once again.

* * *

_Matt Jameson stood outside the showroom door of one of the Sitnikov family's high-end car dealerships. This one was a BMW dealership. Through the wall of windows, he could see a gorgeous M6 convertible in Imperial Blue that would be very tempting if he weren't limited to his government salary. He checked his watch once again and saw that it was time to make his move._

_He entered the showroom and appeared to be looking at the gorgeous M6 when in reality he was looking for Maggie to walk through on her way out for lunch. Right on cue, he saw her coming from an office at the back of the showroom. He casually walked toward her while continuing to look at the M6 and walked right into Maggie, carefully not to knock her down._

_Reaching out a hand to steady her, he began to apologize. "I am so sorry! I admit, I was staring at that car, and I didn't see you there." That's when he lifted his gaze to hers and waited for some sign of recognition. He saw the instant that it clicked for her._

"_You! Are you the world's biggest klutz or just completely oblivious to the world around you?" Maggie's ire at the oaf who had bumped into her twice in two days was simmering just below the surface. _

_Matt turned on the charm in hopes of diffusing the situation, even if only a little. "I really am so sorry. Please, let me make it up to you. Let me buy you lunch and maybe I can make a better impression." He flashed his high wattage smile and waited for her response. He had left his hand on her arm and felt again the jolt that he had felt in the coffee shop. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt it, too._

_She looked at him as if trying to decide if he were crazy or clumsy. "Yes, I will let you buy me lunch, if you promise not to spill anything on me or knock me down. Deal?" With a sparkle in her eyes, she smiled and held out her hand to shake his and seal the deal._

"_Deal." He shook her hand, holding onto it a little longer than was really necessary. "Of course, it might be nice if I knew your name. Otherwise, I'll just have to call you 'hey you' or something like that."_

_She smiled at him and said, "I'm Maggie. Maggie Markov. It's really nice to meet you."_

* * *

"Miss Markov, thank you for coming." He led her into the conference room and indicated that she sit at the table. "I'm Deputy Director Seeley Booth and this is Special Agent Charlie Burns. We're very sorry for your loss. Do you know why we asked you to come in today?" Booth took a seat across from her. She wasn't what he expected. She was very petite, barely five feet two inches and, if he had to guess, no more than one hundred five pounds. Her hair was jet black and cut in a chin length bob.

"P-please call me Maggie. I assume I'm here about Pavel. I still don't know what happened. I was just told that he is dead." She was trying so hard not to cry. She didn't want to lose control in front of these strangers.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you that it appears that your brother was murdered. I know you were both in WitSec. That would seem to indicate that he had enemies. Is there anyone that stands out to you?"

"Not really. All of the power players in the family are in prison. I know. We helped put them there. Everyone else has gone into hiding. I can't think of anyone who would do this." Her hands were clasped on the table to keep them from shaking. Her eyes were bright with tears, but she had managed to keep them under control thus far.

Booth chose to change topics for the moment. "Miss Markov, Maggie, can you tell us why you testified against your family? We have been unable to examine your file."

Maggie took a deep breath. She always dreaded telling this story. It was still very painful to even think about. "The short version is that my grandfather indirectly had my mother killed and I couldn't be silent about the family any longer."

Of all of the reasons that Booth could imagine for Maggie to testify against her family, that was not one. To say he was shocked was putting it mildly. "I'm sorry to put you through this, I really am. I want to find who murdered your brother. To do that, I need all the information I can get. Can you tell me the long version of the story? We can take as many breaks as you need."

Charlie sat off to one side, all but forgotten by the room's other occupants. He poured a glass of water for Maggie and sat it on the table in front of her. Watching Booth during an interview was like taking a master class in interrogation. Charlie was happy to sit back and let Booth work his magic.

Maggie took a sip of water as she prepared to tell the story for what seemed like the hundredth time. "My grandfather is Anatoly Sitnikov. Yes, my grandfather was the head of the Sitnikov family. His daughter, Marina, was my mother. My father died when we were young. Pavel was thirteen and I was nine." She took another sip of water before continuing. "My mother remained single after my father died. That is until she started dating about three years ago. My grandfather didn't approve of him, but as long as it wasn't serious, he let it continue."

Booth interrupted her just to clarify a point. "**Let** her? Your mother was an adult. Why would he have any say over her private life?"

Maggie chuckled. "You haven't met my grandfather. He is very controlling. It comes with the territory, you know, being the head of a crime family. He had final approval over all decisions in the family, even marriages. He takes his 'responsibility' as the head of the family very seriously." She stood and began to pace the conference room. "Anyway, Mama was very much in love with this man. His name was Charles. He wasn't part of the family. He wasn't even Russian, so Dedushka, my grandfather, didn't approve of him at all. He kept all outsiders out of the family. It was a trust thing with him. He didn't trust anyone who didn't have some kind of stake in the family business." She stopped behind one of the chairs and grabbed the back with both hands, holding on so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Do you mind if we take a little break?"

* * *

_Two years and three months earlier_

_Matt had long ago admitted to himself that what he felt for Maggie was wrong, at least as far as the Bureau was concerned. If 'the powers that be' had an inkling of his relationship with Maggie, he would probably be off this case so fast that it would take him a month to catch up to himself. He knew he had no control over who he fell in love with. So, it was a conscious decision to continue seeing Maggie, no matter what the consequences might be. They had been together for six months, and if he overlooked the secrets he had to keep from her, it was the happiest he had ever been._

_Matt had planned a romantic night for Maggie. He had an important question to ask her and he wanted to set the right mood. He had made reservations weeks ago at Maggie's favorite seafood restaurant, Chart House in Weehawken. He had never been there, but Maggie always raved about the food and the view of the New York City skyline. He had her favorite flowers, calla lilies, delivered to her at work. When they returned to the city after dinner, he planned to take her to his place, where he had a bottle of champagne on ice. He was pulling out all the stops to show her how much he loved her, even if she turned him down. _

_After an incredible dinner spent staring at the skyline between staring at each other, they had returned to his apartment. He had the lights turned low as he held her and they swayed to the music playing softly in the background. His hands were splayed across her back where her sapphire halter top dress left her skin exposed. _

"_Maggie, I love you. You know that, right?" He whispered next to her ear, sending shivers down her spine and the scent of her vanilla shampoo through his nostrils._

_She pulled back just enough to see his eyes. "Yes, of course, I know that. I love you, too." She leaned back into him and once again his lips found her ear. _

"_I know we haven't been together very long and, really, I'm not trying to rush things between us. I just know that I hate every minute that we are apart." He laid a trail of kisses along her neck and down her shoulder before he asked his question. "Would you consider moving in with me? If it's too soon, I understand and nothing has to change between us. If you're ready, I can't think of anything better than waking up next to you every morning and going to sleep next to you every night."_

_He heard a catch in her breath when he asked her. She hadn't been expecting it. _

_She pulled back again, this time moving her hands up to caress his face. "Matt, I want to say yes, but I can't." She leaned into him again, softly kissing his lips. "Please don't be mad. I'm doing this for you."_

"_For me? I don't understand."_

"_I love you and I don't want anything to happen to you. I come from a family of men with short tempers and strict morals. If we were to move in together, without being married, I don't think it would be very 'healthy' for you."_

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready to continue? Is there anything I can get for you?" Booth knew this had to be incredibly difficult for the young woman and admired her determination to get through her story.

"I'm fine, thank you. Where was I? Oh yeah, Dedushka didn't approve of Charles, but kept quiet as long as it didn't seem serious. Mama and Charles dated for a year, but even then it seemed casual. I think Dedushka's silence gave Mama a false sense of security. She thought that if he would was going to put an end to it, that he would have done it early on. So, when they had passed the one year mark, Charles went to my grandfather asked for his permission to marry Mama."

Booth did not like where this story was going, but it was like a train wreck, he couldn't look away. He wanted to hear the rest of the story. His gut told him that something in Maggie's story could help with their case. He and Charlie remained silent while Maggie seemed to gather her thoughts.

"Dedushka was polite to Charles and told him he would have to talk to my mother before giving him an answer. Charles accepted that and thought that once my grandfather spoke with Mama, everything would be fine. Dedushka talked to Mama just long enough to let her know he would never allow her to marry Charles." Maggie lost her battle against her tears but didn't seem to realize it. She made no move to wipe them from her cheeks as she continued. "At that point, I didn't really know what my family was involved in. I had overheard things my whole life and I probably could have put it together for myself, if I wanted to. But, no one wants to think the worst of their family. However, I did know that bad things happened to people who crossed my grandfather. He employed people to 'handle' his problems. As soon as he asked to marry Mama, Charles became one of my grandfather's problems."

Maggie went from pacing back to sitting, but the tears didn't stop. After a long drink of water, she took another deep breath to calm herself and continued. "Mama was so mad at my grandfather. She ran away like she was a child. She packed a bag, walked out the back door and met Charles where he was parked down the block. He was driving them to his house on Long Island when he was shot. He died instantly. The car went out of control and slammed into an embankment. Mama died in the impact. Dedushka had no idea that she was with Charles. He didn't want her to die. It was just supposed to be Charles."

Maggie's strength was exhausted at that point. She dropped her head onto her arms which were crossed on the table. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. Booth's heart was breaking right along with hers. No one should have to go through the things Maggie had gone through, especially not at the hands of another family member. He walked around the table, sat next to her and rubbed circles on her back. He didn't want her to feel that she was alone.

Booth had no idea how much time had passed by the time Maggie was able to pull herself back together. He sat back and gave her some space to continue.

"I was devastated. And that was before I knew that Dedushka was involved. Konstantin and I had been together about nine months at that point. I don't think I would have survived it if it hadn't been for him."

Booth's ears perked up. "I'm sorry, Maggie, who's Konstantin?"

"Konstantin was my boyfriend. We were together until I went into WitSec. He helped me decide to testify against the family. I thought you knew that. He's still Konstantin to me, but his name is really Matt Jameson."

* * *

_A/N2 - Thanks for reading. And, thanks to this week's Queen of the Lab - dgschneider - for being a great beta and a great listener when I'm not sure if I'm going in the right direction. Please leave a review in the little box below. LMM loves reviews. ~ craftyjhawk_


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